astronomy

GJ 1132 b

GJ 1132 b is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand GJ 1132 b rather than just read about it. In short: GJ 1132 b (also known as Gliese 1132 b) is an exoplanet orbiting GJ 1132, a red dwarf star 41 light-years (13 parsecs) from Earth, in the constellation Vela. The planet is considered uninhabitable but was thought to be cool enough to possess an atmosphere.

Key takeaways

GJ 1132 b belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect GJ 1132 b to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of GJ 1132 b from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

GJ 1132 b (also known as Gliese 1132 b) is an exoplanet orbiting GJ 1132, a red dwarf star 41 light-years (13 parsecs) from Earth, in the constellation Vela. The planet is considered uninhabitable but was thought to be cool enough to possess an atmosphere. GJ 1132 b was discovered by the MEarth-South array in Chile. It had been called "one of the most important planets ever discovered beyond the Solar System," due to its relative proximity to Earth, as telescopes should have been able to determine the composition of its atmosphere, the speed of its winds, and the color of its sunsets, if an atmosphere was present. This is due in part to the small diameter of its parent star (20% that of the Sun), which increases the effect on the star's light of its transits. The planet's diameter is about 13% larger than that of the Earth and its mass is estimated at 1.6 times that of Earth, implying that it has an Earth-like rocky composition. GJ 1132 b orbits its star every 1.6 days at a distance of 2.24 million kilometres (1.4 million miles). The planet receives 19 times more stellar radiation than Earth. The equilibrium temperature is estimated at 529 K (256 °C; 493 °F) for an Earth-like albedo, or 409 K (136 °C; 277 °F) for a Venus-like albedo. The planet is likely to be hotter than Venus, as higher temperatures likely prevail at the surface if the planet has an atmosphere.

Atmosphere GJ 1132b has been subject to multiple claims about the detection of an atmosphere. In April 2017, a hydrogen-dominated atmosphere was claimed to have been detected around GJ 1132 b. However, subsequent, more precise work ruled out the claim. Instead, in 2021 detection of a hazy hydrogen atmosphere without helium but with the admixture methane and hydrogen cyanide (implying substantial underlying free nitrogen in the mix, at around 8.9% of the atmosphere) was claimed. Nevertheless, two subsequent studies found no evidence for molecular absorption in the HST WFC3 Spectrum of GJ 1132 b. Instead, the spectrum was found to be flat and featureless. A secondary eclipse observed by the James Webb Space Telescope and published in 2024 revealed a substellar temperature of 709±31 K (436 °C; 817 °F). This is only slightly below the maximum possible dayside temperature of 746+11−14 K (473 °C; 883 °F), assuming a zero albedo planet with no heat redistribution. The thermal emission spectra rules out pure-carbon dioxide atmospheres above 0.006 bar and pure-water vapor atmospheres above 0.16 bar. Therefore, GJ 1132b likely has little to no atmosphere, consistent with the idea of the Cosmic shoreline, similar to other hot rocky M-dwarf planets, including: LHS 3844 b (Kuaꞌkua), GJ 1252 b, TRAPPIST-1b and c, GJ 367b (Tahay), and GJ 486b (Su).

See also Habitability of red dwarf systems HD 219134 b, another rocky exoplanet with possible atmosphere

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with GJ 1132 b

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what GJ 1132 b claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to GJ 1132 b before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about GJ 1132 b ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of GJ 1132 b

In research: GJ 1132 b appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses GJ 1132 b in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: GJ 1132 b is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Exoplanets discovered in 2015, Exoplanets in the Gliese Catalog, Super-Earths, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for GJ 1132 b outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study GJ 1132 b in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what GJ 1132 b means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain GJ 1132 b out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is GJ 1132 b in simple terms?

Why does GJ 1132 b matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study GJ 1132 b?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on GJ 1132 b.