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.
Size, radius, and temperature
WASP-104b's size is comparable to that of Jupiter; its mass and radius are 1.272 times and 1.137 times greater than Jupiter's, respectively.[5] It has 12.5 times the mass of Earth and a a low density, and may be composed of gas.[5]
Orbit and host star
WASP-104b is the only known exoplanet to orbit WASP-104, a 3-billion-year-old G8 star. Wasp104b's orbital period is 1.8 days; it is located 2.6 million miles from its star and has an orbital radius of .02918 astronomical units (2,712,000 miles).[6][5] WAS104 and its planet are located 466 light years away from the Sun in the constellation Leo .[5][1][6]
