Mu Arae d
Mu Arae d, also known as HD 160691 d, formally named Rocinante /ˌrɒsəˈnæntiː/, is an extrasolar planet orbiting the star Mu Arae of the constellation Ara. CharacteristicsThe planet has a mass about half that of Jupiter and orbits at a distance of 0.921 AU from the star with a period of 310.55 days. The planet may be located at a distance close enough to the star to receive a comparable amount of ultraviolet radiation as the Earth does from the Sun. However, it is too close to the star to be able to support liquid water at its surface.[2] Furthermore, given its mass, the planet is likely to be a gas giant with no solid surface. NameIn July 2014 the International Astronomical Union launched NameExoWorlds, a process for giving proper names to certain exoplanets and their host stars.[3] The process involved public nomination and voting for the new names.[4] In December 2015, the IAU announced the winning name was Rocinante for this planet.[5] The winning name was submitted by the Planetario de Pamplona, Spain. Rocinante was the horse of the lead character of the novel Don Quixote.[6] References
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