Confirmed Exoplanet Discovered 2016

K2-66 b

A sub-neptune orbiting the g-type yellow (sun-like) K2-66, located approximately 1,676.0 light-years from Earth.

Key parameters at a glance

  • A radius of 2.49 Earth radii
  • A mass of 21.30 Earth masses
  • Surface gravity around 3.44 g
  • An orbital period of 5.070 days
  • Semi-major axis 0.0598 AU
  • Equilibrium temperature 1,372 K (1099 °C)
  • Distance from Earth 1,676.04 light-years
  • Earth Similarity Index 0.178
  • Travel time at Voyager 1 speed 29,556,976 years

K2-66 b Planet Profile

Physical Specs

Radius
2.49 R⊕
Radius (Jupiter)
0.222 R♃
Mass
21.30 M⊕
Mass (Jupiter)
0.067 M♃
Density
7.80 g/cm³
Surface Gravity
3.44 g (Earth)

Classification

Planet Type

Sub-Neptune

ESI Score 0.178
HZ Position Inner
Controversial No

Discovery

Year 2016
Method Transit
Facility K2
Telescope 0.95 m Kepler Telescope

Size rank in cohort

Rank by radius

#1191of 1978

top 60.2%

This planet

2.49R⊕

Sub-Neptune median

2.71R⊕

Nearest-size peers

Metric Earth K2-66 b Jupiter
Radius (R⊕)1.002.4911.21
Mass (M⊕)1.0021.30317.83
Density (g/cm³)5.517.801.33
Surface Gravity (g)1.003.442.53
Insolation (S⊕)1.00840.000.037

Alternative Mass Estimates

Method Value Interpretation
Best measured mass 21.300 M⊕ Direct mass measurement (not derived).

Star Catalogue Identifiers

TIC

TIC 50183101

Gaia DR2

Gaia DR2 2614121364991061888

Gaia DR3

Gaia DR3 2614121364991061888

System

K2-66

Percentile among Sub-Neptune cohort

Radius 2.490 R⊕ · percentile 39 / cohort 1978
Mass 21.300 M⊕ · percentile 95 / cohort 1978
Orbital period 5.07 d · percentile 12 / cohort 1946
Distance 513.88 pc · percentile 48 / cohort 1975
ESI 0.178 · percentile 4 / cohort 1978

Orbit & Habitability

Orbital Dynamics

Period
5.070 days
Semi-major axis
0.0598 AU
Eccentricity
0.000
Inclination
86.60 °

Year Length

A year here lasts approximately 5.07 Earth days (1.4% of a terrestrial year) on a nearly circular orbit at a mean orbital distance of 0.0598 AU.

Transit Fingerprint

Depth

0.029 %

Duration

4.710 h

Impact parameter b

0.470

Rp / R★

0.013530

Transit midpoint (BJD)

2,456,984.0075

Photometric dip

Transit produces a flux drop of 288 ppm lasting ≈ 4.71 h.

Extended Orbital Architecture

Planet / star radius ratio

0.013530

Semi-major axis / stellar radius

7.874

Impact parameter (b)

0.470

RV semi-amplitude (K)

7.400 m/s

Transit mid-time (BJD)

2,456,984.0075

Angular separation (arcsec)

0.11600

Eq. Temperature

1,372K

(1099 °C)

Insolation (S⊕)

840.00

Earth = 1.00

Earth Similarity (ESI)

0.178

0 = alien, 1 = Earth-identical

Inside the inner HZ boundary (too hot for liquid water) — the dayside is scorched.

Detection Signatures

Transit photometry

A transit dip has been observed from at least one telescope.

Radial velocity

Stellar wobble has been measured spectroscopically.

Discovery Paper

Primary reference

Crossfield et al. 2016

Instrument

Kepler CCD Array

Publication

2016-09

Observation locale

Space

Host System: K2-66

Spectral Class

G-type yellow (Sun-like)

Effective Temperature

5,887 K — hotter than the Sun (5,778 K)

Estimated Age

Stellar Radius

1.670 R☉

Stellar Mass

1.110 M☉

Metallicity [Fe/H]

-0.05

Extended Stellar Properties

Surface gravity (log g)

4.030 dex

Stellar density

0.299 g/cm³

Systemic radial velocity

46.24 km/s

Rotational v·sin i

3.70 km/s

Activity index (log R'HK)

-5.267

Metallicity ratio

[Fe/H]

Distance
513.88 parsec
Light-years 1,676.04 ly
V-band magnitude
11.71 mag
Voyager-speed travel 29,556,976 yr

Multi-band Host Photometry — 12 bands

8.912.312.30B11.71V12.00Gaia12.05Kepler11.57TESS10.95J10.66H10.61K10.59W110.61W210.61W38.91W4

Astrometric Data

Parallax

1.921 mas

Total Proper Motion

8.084 mas/yr

PM Right Ascension

-4.32 mas/yr

PM Declination

-6.83 mas/yr

Galactic Cartesian (pc)

x = 0.864 · y = -0.468 · z = -0.186

Equatorial (J2000)

RA 331.52666° · Dec -10.71154°

Galactic ℓ, b

47.695° · -47.850°

Ecliptic λ, β

329.746° · 0.906°

HTM-20 index

-667201292

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