OGLE-TR-111


OGLE-TR-111 is a yellow dwarf star approximately 3,600 light-years away in the constellation of Carina with an apparent magnitude of about 17. Because its apparent brightness changes when one of its planets transits, the star has been given the variable star designation V759 Carinae.

Planetary system

In 2002 the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment survey detected that the light from the star periodically dimmed very slightly every 4 days, indicating a planet-sized body transiting the star. But since the mass of the object had not been measured, it was not clear that it was a true planet, low-mass red dwarf or something else.
In 2004 radial velocity measurements showed unambiguously that the transiting body is indeed a planet.
The planet is probably very similar to the other "hot Jupiters" orbiting nearby stars. Its mass is about half that of Jupiter and it orbits the star at a distance less than 1/20th that of Earth from the Sun.

Unconfirmed planet candidate

In 2005, evidence of another transit was announced. Planet "OGLE-TR-111c" is a possible extrasolar planet orbiting the star. It was first proposed in 2005 based on preliminary evidence from the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment survey. More data is required to confirm this planet candidate. If it is confirmed, OGLE-TR-111 would become one of the first stars with a pair of transiting planets.