| Xi Aquilae b / Fortitudo | |
| Discoverer: | Sato et al. |
| Discovery Site: | Okayama Planet Search Program, Japan |
| Discovered: | 19 February 2008 |
| Discovery Method: | Radial velocity |
| Apsis: | astron |
| Semimajor: | 0.68AU |
| Eccentricity: | 0 |
| Period: | 136.75 ± 0.25 d 0.37439 y |
| Time Periastron: | 2,453,001.7 ± 1.4 |
| Star: | Xi Aquilae |
Xi Aquilae b (abbreviated ξ Aquilae b, ξ Aql b), formally named Fortitudo, is an extrasolar planet approximately 184 light-years from the Sun in the constellation of Aquila. The planet was discovered orbiting the yellow giant star Xi Aquilae in 2008. The planet has a minimum mass of 2.8 Jupiter and a period of 137 days.
Following its discovery the planet was designated Xi Aquilae b. In July 2014 the International Astronomical Union launched NameExoWorlds, a process for giving proper names to certain exoplanets and their host stars.[1] The process involved public nomination and voting for the new names.[2] In December 2015, the IAU announced the winning name was Fortitudo for this planet.[3]
The winning name was submitted by Libertyer, a student club at Hosei University of Tokyo, Japan. Fortitudo is Latin for 'fortitude'. Aquila is Latin for 'eagle', a symbol of fortitude – emotional and mental strength in the face of adversity.[4]