EPIC 229004835 b
EPIC 229004835 b is a super-Earth orbiting EPIC 229004835 in the constellation Virgo. It lies about 398 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2023 using the transit method.
How Big Is EPIC 229004835 b?
EPIC 229004835 b has a radius of 2.33 times that of Earth. Its mass is 10.4 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 4.49 g/cm³ — between that of rocky and gaseous planets.
Is EPIC 229004835 b in the Habitable Zone?
EPIC 229004835 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of EPIC 229004835. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of EPIC 229004835: 0.769–1.808 AU (conservative: 0.974–1.714 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
See the full interactive habitable-zone view in the Exoplanet Explorer app ›
Temperature on EPIC 229004835 b
The equilibrium temperature of EPIC 229004835 b is about 804 K (531 °C) — hot enough to melt many metals. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C. It receives 69.70 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on EPIC 229004835 b — one full orbit around EPIC 229004835 — lasts 16.1 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.124 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is mildly elliptical (eccentricity 0.23).
How Was EPIC 229004835 b Discovered?
EPIC 229004835 b was discovered in 2023 using the transit method, with observations from K2.
The transit method watches a star for the tiny, regular dip in brightness that occurs when a planet crosses in front of it. The depth and timing of these dips reveal the planet's size and orbital period.
How Far Away Is EPIC 229004835 b?
EPIC 229004835 b is 397.8 light-years (122.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1629. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 7,001,280 years to make the journey.
Earth Similarity Index
The Earth Similarity Index (ESI) scores how physically similar a planet is to Earth, from 0 to 1, based on radius, density, escape velocity and surface temperature. EPIC 229004835 b scores 0.26, ranking #2,958 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: EPIC 229004835
EPIC 229004835
- Surface temperature
- 5,868 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.97 M☉
- Radius
- 1.00 R☉
- Age
- 4.9 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
EPIC 229004835 b is the only planet known to orbit EPIC 229004835 so far.
EPIC 229004835 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 2.332 Earth radii (0.208 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 10.40 Earth masses (0.033 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 4.49 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 16.14 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.124 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.230 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 804 K (531 °C) |
| Stellar irradiation | 69.70× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.26 |
| Distance from Earth | 397.8 light-years (122.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Virgo |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | K2 |
| Discovery year | 2023 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2023-05-03. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About EPIC 229004835 b
Is EPIC 229004835 b habitable?
No — EPIC 229004835 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is EPIC 229004835 b?
EPIC 229004835 b is about 398 light-years from Earth in the constellation Virgo. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 7,001,280 years to get there.
How big is EPIC 229004835 b compared to Earth?
EPIC 229004835 b has 2.33 times the radius of Earth and about 10.4 times its mass.
How long is a year on EPIC 229004835 b?
One orbit around EPIC 229004835 takes 16.1 Earth days — short enough that 23 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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