Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 20, 2026

WASP-6

WASP-6, also officially named Márohu, is a type-G yellow dwarf star located about 651 light-years away in the Aquarius constellation. Dim at magnitude 12, it is visible through a moderate sized amateur telescope. The star is about 80% of the size and mass of the Sun and it is a little cooler. Starspots in the WASP-6 system helped to refine the measurements of the mass and the radius of the planet WASP-6b.

Last revised
Jul 20, 2026
Read time
≈ 3 min
Length
671 w
Citations
32
Source
WASP-6 / Márohu
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Aquarius1
Right ascension 23h 12m 37.73683s2
Declination −22° 40′ 26.2738″2
Apparent magnitude (V) 11.93
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage Main sequence2
Spectral type G8V3
Apparent magnitude (B) ~12.94
Apparent magnitude (R) ~11.94
Apparent magnitude (J) 10.769 ±0.0264
Apparent magnitude (H) 10.445 ±0.0254
Apparent magnitude (K) 10.325 ±0.0254
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)11.84±0.892 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −23.264(15) mas/yr2
Dec.: −37.143(14) mas/yr2
Parallax (π)5.0073±0.0130 mas2
Distance651 ± 2 ly
(199.7 ± 0.5 pc)
Details
Mass0.880+0.050
−0.080
5 M
Radius0.870+0.025
−0.036
5 R
Luminosity0.606 L
Temperature5450±1005 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.200±0.0905 dex
Rotation23.80±0.15 d5
Rotational velocity (v sin i)1.4±1.05 km/s
Age11.0+3.0
−7.0
5 Gyr
Other designations
Márohu, TOI-231, TIC 204376737, WASP-6, TYC 6972-75-1, 2MASS J23123773-2240261, DENIS J231237.7-224025, UCAC2 228234254
Database references
SIMBADdata
Exoplanet Archivedata

WASP-6, also officially named Márohu, is a type-G yellow dwarf star located about 651 light-years (200 parsecs) away in the Aquarius constellation. Dim at magnitude 12, it is visible through a moderate sized amateur telescope. The star is about 80% of the size and mass of the Sun and it is a little cooler.4 Starspots in the WASP-6 system helped to refine the measurements of the mass and the radius of the planet WASP-6b.7

Nomenclature

The designation WASP-6 indicates that this was the 6th star found to have a planet by the Wide Angle Search for Planets.

In 2019 the IAU announced that WASP-6 and its planet WASP-6b would be given official names chosen by the public from the proposals collected in a national campaign from the Dominican Republic, as part of NameExoWorlds.89 The star WASP-6 is named Márohu and its planet Boinayel from the proposal received by Marvin del Cid. Márohu, the cemí of drought, is the protector of the Sun.1011

Planetary system

The SuperWASP project announced that this star has an exoplanet, WASP-6b, in 2008. This object was detected by the astronomical transit method. It is a hot Jupiter with an inflated radius and low density.3

The WASP-6 planetary system5
Companion
(in order from star)
Mass Semimajor axis
(AU)
Orbital period
(days)
Eccentricity Inclination
(°)
Radius
b / Boinayel 0.483+0.026
−0.030
 MJ
0.04217+0.00079
−0.0012
3.36100239(37) <0.070 88.47+0.65
−0.47
1.224+0.051
−0.052
 RJ
See also

See also

References

References

  1. Roman, Nancy G. (1987). "Identification of a constellation from a position". Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 99 (617): 695. Bibcode:1987PASP...99..695R. doi:10.1086/132034. Constellation record for this object at VizieR.
  2. Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. Gillon; Anderson, D. R.; Triaud, A. H. M. J.; Hellier, C.; Maxted, P. F. L.; Pollaco, D.; Queloz, D.; Smalley, B.; et al. (2009). "Discovery and characterization of WASP-6b, an inflated sub-Jupiter mass planet transiting a solar-type star". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 501 (2): 785–792. arXiv:0901.4705. Bibcode:2009A&A...501..785G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200911749. S2CID 53607680.
  4. "WASP-6". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  5. Bonomo, A. S.; Desidera, S.; et al. (June 2017). "The GAPS Programme with HARPS-N at TNG. XIV. Investigating giant planet migration history via improved eccentricity and mass determination for 231 transiting planets". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 602: A107. arXiv:1704.00373. Bibcode:2017A&A...602A.107B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201629882.
  6. Ulmer-Moll, S.; Santos, N. C.; Figueira, P.; Brinchmann, J.; Faria, J. P. (2019). "Beyond the exoplanet mass-radius relation". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 630: A135. arXiv:1909.07392. Bibcode:2019A&A...630A.135U. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936049.
  7. Tregloan-Reed, Jeremy; Southworth, John; Burgdorf, M.; Novati, S. Calchi; Dominik, M.; Finet, F.; Jørgensen, U. G.; Maier, G.; Mancini, L.; Prof, S.; Ricci, D.; Snodgrass, C.; Bozza, V.; Browne, P.; Dodds, P.; Gerner, T.; Harpsøe, K.; Hinse, T. C.; Hundertmark, M.; Kains, N.; Kerins, E.; Liebig, C.; Penny, M. T.; Rahvar, S.; Sahu, K.; Scarpetta, G.; Schäfer, S.; Schönebeck, F.; Skottfelt, J.; Surdej, J. (2015-06-21). "Transits and starspots in the WASP-6 planetary system". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 450 (2): 1760–1769. arXiv:1503.09184. Bibcode:2015MNRAS.450.1760T. doi:10.1093/mnras/stv730. ISSN 0035-8711.
  8. "NameExoWorlds". 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  9. "Naming". 2019. Retrieved 6 September 2019.
  10. "Approved names". NameExoworlds. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
  11. "International Astronomical Union | IAU". www.iau.org. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2020-01-02.
External links