Wasp-7: A bright transiting-exoplanet system in the southern hemisphere

Abstract

We report that a Jupiter-mass planet, WASP-7b, transits the ν=9.5 star HD 197286 every 4.95 d. This is the brightest discovery from the WASP-South transit survey so far and is currently the brightest transiting-exoplanet system in the southern hemisphere. WASP-7b is among the densest of the known Jupiter-mass planets, suggesting that it has a massive core. The planet mass is 0.96+-00.1128 MJup, the radius is 0.915+-00..004460 RJup, and the density is 1.26+-00.2251 ρJup (1.67+-003238 gcm-3). © 2009. The American Astronomical Society.