Researchers have considered WASP-104b to be one of the darkest exoplanets ever discovered.[1][3] In 2018, scientists from Keele University said the exoplanet's thick sodium and potassium atmosphere can absorb more than 97% of the light that falls on it.[1] A paper published by Cornell University Library describes the exoplanet as "darker than charcoal" and "one of the least reflective planets found to date".[1][4] The only other two exoplanets thought to be darker than WASP-104b are TrES-2b and WASP-12b.[1] Its reflectance has been compared with that of WASP-12b, which absorbs 94% of the light it receives.[5]
Characteristics
Size, radius, and temperature
WASP-104b's size is comparable to Jupiter, as its mass and radius are 1.272 times and 1.137 times greater than Jupiter's, respectively.[6] It also has 12.5 times the mass that Earth does. It has a low density and could be composed of gas.[6]
Orbit and host star
WASP-104b is the only known exoplanet to orbit WASP-104, a 3 billion year old G8 star. It orbits its star in about 2 days and is located 2.6 million miles away from it, while having an orbital radius of 0.02918 AU.[7][6] It is situated in the constellation Leo and is located 466 light years away from the Sun.[6][1][7]
