Confirmed Exoplanet Discovered 2016

K2-79 b

A neptune-like orbiting the g-type yellow (sun-like) K2-79, located approximately 835.0 light-years from Earth.

Key parameters at a glance

  • A radius of 4.15 Earth radii
  • A mass of 5.90 Earth masses
  • Surface gravity around 0.34 g
  • An orbital period of 10.995 days
  • Semi-major axis 0.0987 AU
  • Equilibrium temperature 1,033 K (760 °C)
  • Distance from Earth 835.00 light-years
  • Earth Similarity Index 0.165
  • Travel time at Voyager 1 speed 14,725,140 years

K2-79 b Planet Profile

Physical Specs

Radius
4.15 R⊕
Radius (Jupiter)
0.370 R♃
Mass
5.90 M⊕
Mass (Jupiter)
0.019 M♃
Density
0.48 g/cm³
Surface Gravity
0.34 g (Earth)

Classification

Planet Type

Neptune-like

ESI Score 0.165
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

#531of 574

top 92.3%

This planet

4.15R⊕

Neptune-like median

6.39R⊕

Nearest-size peers

Metric Earth K2-79 b Jupiter
Radius (R⊕)1.004.1511.21
Mass (M⊕)1.005.90317.83
Density (g/cm³)5.510.481.33
Surface Gravity (g)1.000.342.53
Insolation (S⊕)1.00180.000.037

Alternative Mass Estimates

Method Value Interpretation
Best measured mass 5.900 M⊕ Direct mass measurement (not derived).

Star Catalogue Identifiers

TIC

TIC 435339558

Gaia DR2

Gaia DR2 38127013099258880

Gaia DR3

Gaia DR3 38127013099258880

System

K2-79

Percentile among Neptune-like cohort

Radius 4.150 R⊕ · percentile 7 / cohort 574
Mass 5.900 M⊕ · percentile 2 / cohort 574
Orbital period 11.00 d · percentile 39 / cohort 524
Distance 256.01 pc · percentile 44 / cohort 572
ESI 0.165 · percentile 18 / cohort 574

Orbit & Habitability

Orbital Dynamics

Period
10.995 days
Semi-major axis
0.0987 AU
Eccentricity
0.032
Inclination
88.42 °

Year Length

A year here lasts approximately 11.00 Earth days (3.0% of a terrestrial year) on a nearly circular orbit at a mean orbital distance of 0.0987 AU.

Transit Fingerprint

Depth

0.088 %

Duration

4.566 h

Impact parameter b

0.459

Rp / R★

0.030000

Transit midpoint (BJD)

2,459,917.9583

Photometric dip

Transit produces a flux drop of 880 ppm lasting ≈ 4.57 h.

Extended Orbital Architecture

Planet / star radius ratio

0.030000

Semi-major axis / stellar radius

16.900

Impact parameter (b)

0.459

RV semi-amplitude (K)

1.620 m/s

Transit mid-time (BJD)

2,459,917.9583

Angular separation (arcsec)

0.38600

Eq. Temperature

1,033K

(760 °C)

Insolation (S⊕)

180.00

Earth = 1.00

Earth Similarity (ESI)

0.165

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: K2-79

Spectral Class

G-type yellow (Sun-like)

Effective Temperature

5,897 K — hotter than the Sun (5,778 K)

Estimated Age

6.50 Gyr — older than the Sun (4.6 Gyr)

Stellar Radius

1.269 R☉

Stellar Mass

1.060 M☉

Metallicity [Fe/H]

0.04

Extended Stellar Properties

Surface gravity (log g)

4.260 dex

Stellar density

0.733 g/cm³

Systemic radial velocity

-10.63 km/s

Rotational v·sin i

2.70 km/s

Activity index (log R'HK)

-5.129

Metallicity ratio

[Fe/H]

Distance
256.01 parsec
Light-years 835.00 ly
V-band magnitude
12.15 mag
Voyager-speed travel 14,725,140 yr

Multi-band Host Photometry — 12 bands

8.912.912.89B12.15V11.80Gaia11.80Kepler11.22TESS10.36J10.00H9.91K9.83W19.86W29.80W38.90W4

Astrometric Data

Parallax

3.878 mas

Total Proper Motion

42.001 mas/yr

PM Right Ascension

7.92 mas/yr

PM Declination

-41.25 mas/yr

Galactic Cartesian (pc)

x = 0.554 · y = 0.799 · z = 0.234

Equatorial (J2000)

RA 55.25593° · Dec 13.51919°

Galactic ℓ, b

173.690° · -32.171°

Ecliptic λ, β

56.141° · -5.930°

HTM-20 index

937704446

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