astronomy

HAT-P-11b

HAT-P-11b 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 HAT-P-11b rather than just read about it. In short: HAT-P-11b (or Kepler-3b) is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star HAT-P-11. It was discovered by the HATNet Project team in 2009 using the transit method, and submitted for publication on 2 January 2009.

Key takeaways

HAT-P-11b belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect HAT-P-11b to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of HAT-P-11b from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

HAT-P-11b (or Kepler-3b) is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star HAT-P-11. It was discovered by the HATNet Project team in 2009 using the transit method, and submitted for publication on 2 January 2009. This planet is located approximately 123 light-years (38 pc) distant from Earth.

Discovery The HATNet Project team initially detected the transits of HAT-P-11b from analysis of 11470 images, taken in 2004 and 2005, by the HAT-6 and HAT-9 telescopes. The planet was confirmed using 50 radial velocity measurements taken with the HIRES radial velocity spectrometer at W. M. Keck Observatory. At the time of its discovery HAT-P-11b was the smallest radius transiting extrasolar planet discovered by a ground based transit search and was also one of three previously known transiting planets within the initial field of view of the Kepler spacecraft. There was a linear trend in the radial velocities indicating the possibility of another planet in the system. This planet, HAT-P-11c, was confirmed in 2018.

Characteristics This planet orbits about the same distance from the star as Dimidium is from Helvetios, typical of transiting planets. However, the orbit of this planet is eccentric, at around 0.198, unusually high for hot Neptunes. HAT-P-11b's orbit is also highly inclined, with a tilt of 103+26−10°. degrees relative to its star's rotation. The planet is probably composed primarily of heavy elements with only 10% hydrogen and helium by mass, like Awohali. On 24 September 2014, NASA reported that HAT-P-11b is the first Neptune-sized exoplanet known to have a relatively cloud-free atmosphere and, as well, the first time molecules, namely water vapor, of any kind have been found on such a relatively small exoplanet. In 2009 French astronomers observed what was thought to be a weak unpolarized radio signal coming from the exoplanet, but it was not observed in a repeat observation in 2010. If the signal was real, then it was probably due to intense lightning storms with similar properties as ones on Saturn. In December 2021 evidence of a magnetosphere was discovered in HAT-P-11b that could be the first ever in any exoplanet.

See also Awohali HATNet Project HAT-P-7b Kepler Mission Tau Boötis b another extra solar planet with evidence of magnetic fields YZ Ceti another extra solar planet with evidence of magnetic fields HD 209458 b another extra solar planet with evidence of magnetic fields

References

External links Media related to HAT-P-11b at Wikimedia Commons

"HAT-P-11 b". Exoplanets. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2009.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with HAT-P-11b

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what HAT-P-11b 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 HAT-P-11b 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 HAT-P-11b 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 HAT-P-11b

In research: HAT-P-11b 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 HAT-P-11b 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: HAT-P-11b is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Cygnus (constellation), Exoplanets discovered by HATNet, Exoplanets discovered in 2009, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for HAT-P-11b 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.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “HAT-P-11b” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study HAT-P-11b in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what HAT-P-11b 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 HAT-P-11b out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is HAT-P-11b in simple terms?

Why does HAT-P-11b 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 HAT-P-11b?

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 HAT-P-11b.