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Encyclopedia of Astrobiology pp 1–2Cite as

51 Pegasi B

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Definition

51 Pegasi b is an extrasolar planet orbiting the solar-type star 51 Pegasi.

History

51 Pegasi b is the first Jupiter-type planet, with a minimum mass slightly smaller than half of that of Jupiter, discovered around a Sunlike star. It was detected by radial-velocity observations obtained with the Elodie spectrometer on the 1.93-m telescope at the Observatoire de Haute Provence in France (Mayor and Queloz 1995). The extraordinarily short period of 4.230785 ± 0.000036 days was completely unexpected for a planet with a mass close to that of Jupiter and led to some initial skepticism that the unseen companion of 51 Pegasi could be a gas giant planet (e.g., Gray 1997). However, the subsequent announcement of several other radial-velocity planet candidates soon convinced most people of the reality of extrasolar planets.

Overview

51 Pegasi is classified as a G dwarf similar to the Sun but slightly cooler, at a distance of 15.6 parsecs (50.9 light years). A periodic variation in the r...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA, 2138, USA

    David W. Latham

  2. Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Nader Haghighipour

Authors
  1. David W. Latham
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  2. Nader Haghighipour
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David W. Latham .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Centro de Biología Molecular, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain

    Ricardo Amils

  2. Labo. d'Astrophysique de Bordeaux (LAB), Observatoire Aquitain des Sciences de l'Univers (OASU), Floirac CX, France

    Muriel Gargaud

  3. Centro de Astrobiología (CAB), Inst. Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, Spain

    José Cernicharo Quintanilla

  4. Geophysical Lab., Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, USA

    Henderson James Cleaves

  5. Astronomy Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    William M. Irvine

  6. Dépt. Sc. de la Terre et de l’Atmosphère, Université du Québec, Montréal, Montreal, Québec, Canada

    Daniele Pinti

  7. Centre National d'Etudes Spatiale (CNES) DPI/E2U, Paris CX, France

    Michel Viso

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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Latham, D.W., Haghighipour, N. (2014). 51 Pegasi B. In: Amils, R., et al. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1840-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1840-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27833-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    51 Pegasi B
    Published:
    29 July 2022

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1840-3

  2. Original

    51 Pegasi B
    Published:
    24 April 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_1840-2

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