Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 20, 2026

Qatar-3

Qatar-3 is a 12th magnitude star located in the northern constellation Andromeda. It is host to a transiting planet. With a radial velocity of 10.99 km/s, it is drifting away from the Solar System, and is currently located 2,400 light years away based on its annual parallax.

Last revised
Jul 20, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
628 w
Citations
29
Source
Qatar-3
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Andromeda1
Right ascension 23h 56m 36.48327s2
Declination +36° 12′ 46.7749″2
Apparent magnitude (V) 12.883
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage subgiant2
Spectral type G0V3
Variable type planetary transit
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)−2.32±13.312 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −17.8682 mas/yr
Dec.: −8.5532 mas/yr
Parallax (π)1.5818±0.0218 mas2
Distance2,060 ± 30 ly
(632 ± 9 pc)
Details3
Mass1.145±0.064 M
Radius1.272±0.14 R
Luminosity1.90±0.46 L
Surface gravity (log g)4.28±0.05 cgs
Temperature5,991±64 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.041±0.081 dex
Rotation6.31
Rotational velocity (v sin i)10.4±0.5 km/s
Age310±1 Myr
Other designations
Gaia DR3 28786413613008098564
Database references
SIMBADdata

Qatar-3 is a 12th magnitude star located in the northern constellation Andromeda. It is host to a transiting planet.3 With a radial velocity of 10.99 km/s, it is drifting away from the Solar System, and is currently located 2,400 light years away based on its annual parallax.

Properties

This star is a G-type star with 14.5% more mass than the Sun, and 27.2% larger. It has a luminosity of almost two times that of the Sun, and has effective temperature of 5,991 K, which gives it a yellow hue. Qatar-3 is also a metal poor star that has a similar metallicity to the Sun, and has a rapid rotation rate of 10.4 km/s. This means it takes Qatar-3 6.31 days to complete a full rotation, while the Sun takes almost a month to rotate.

Planetary system

In 2016, the Qatar Exoplanet Survey discovered a planet around Qatar-3, Qatar-4, and Qatar-5, which was led by an international team in Qatar. Qatar-3b is a massive planet, with 4.31 times the mass of Jupiter, and has a similar radius to the latter. With a density of 4.0 g/cm3, this is one of the densest planets discovered. With an effective temperature of 1,681 K, it is a scorching planet.5

The Qatar-3 planetary system
Companion
(in order from star)
Mass Semimajor axis
(AU)
Orbital period
(days)
Eccentricity Inclination
(°)
Radius
b 4.31±0.47 MJ 0.03783±0.00069 2.5079204 0 86.8±2.0 1.096±0.14 RJ
Qatar-3b
Discovery3
Discovered byAlsubai et al. 2019
Discovery date2016
Transit
Orbital characteristics
0.03783±0.00069 au3
Eccentricity03
2.5079204 d3
Inclination86.8°±2.0°3
Semi-amplitude587±58 m/s3
Physical characteristics
1.096±0.14 jupiter radius3
Mass4.31±0.47 jupiter mass3
Mean density
4.0±1.2 g/cm33
Temperature1,681±84 K3

Qatar-3b

Qatar-3b is a hot Jupiter. It orbits its star every 2.5 days. It was discovered in 2016 by the Qatar Exoplanet Survey (QES).63 This planet was discovered by QES along with Qatar-4b and Qatar-5b. The light curves of the planet's respective host stars have been observed as well during the survey, along with their stellar properties.3

Orbit

This planet is another typical hot Jupiter. It orbits very close to its star with a period of 2 days, 12 hours, 11 minutes, and 24 seconds.7 This corresponds with an orbital distance of about 0.04 AU, which is 10 times closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. With an eccentricity of 0, this suggests that Qatar-3b is on a perfectly circular orbit.

Physical properties

Qatar-3b is a massive planet, with 4.31 times the mass of Jupiter, but a similar radius. With a density of 4.0 g cm−3, this is one of the densest planets discovered. With an effective temperature of 1,681 K, it is a scorched planet.3

References

References