astronomy

L 98-59 b

L 98-59 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 L 98-59 b rather than just read about it. In short: L 98-59 b is an exoplanet having a size between that of the Earth and Mars and a mass only half that of Venus. It orbits L 98-59, a red dwarf star 34.6 light-years away in the constellation Volans.

Key takeaways

L 98-59 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 L 98-59 b to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of L 98-59 b from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

L 98-59 b is an exoplanet having a size between that of the Earth and Mars and a mass only half that of Venus. It orbits L 98-59, a red dwarf star 34.6 light-years away in the constellation Volans. There are at least 4 (possibly 5) other planets in the system: L 98-59 c, d, e, f and the unconfirmed ".06". Its discovery was announced on 27 June 2019 in The Astronomical Journal and in a NASA press release. It was the smallest planet discovered by TESS until the discovery of LHS 1678 b, and was the lowest-mass planet whose mass had been measured using radial velocities until Proxima Centauri d was found in 2022.

Characteristics L 98-59 b orbits its star in 2.25 days and stays so close to the star that it receives 22 times more energy than Earth receives from the Sun. There are 4 confirmed planets in the system but they are not in the habitable zone of the host star. The temperature of the planet detected by TESS is 330 °C. In 2022, transmission spectroscopy indicated that the planet has either no atmosphere or an opaque atmosphere with high-altitude hazes. Transmission spectroscopy observations with the James Webb Space Telescope NIRSpec published in 2025 favor the presence of a sulfur dioxide atmosphere. This is likely driven by volcanism, implying that L 98-59 b experiences at least eight times as much volcanism and tidal heating as Io.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with L 98-59 b

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what L 98-59 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 L 98-59 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 L 98-59 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 L 98-59 b

In research: L 98-59 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 L 98-59 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: L 98-59 b is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Exoplanets discovered by TESS, Exoplanets discovered in 2019, Sub-Earth exoplanets, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for L 98-59 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 L 98-59 b in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what L 98-59 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 L 98-59 b out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is L 98-59 b in simple terms?

L 98-59 b is an exoplanet having a size between that of the Earth and Mars and a mass only half that of Venus. It orbits L 98-59, a red dwarf star 34.6 light-years away in the constellation Volans.

Why does L 98-59 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 L 98-59 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 L 98-59 b.