K2-65 b
K2-65 b is a super-Earth orbiting K2-65 in the constellation Aquarius. It was discovered in 2016 using the transit method.
How Big Is K2-65 b?
K2-65 b has a radius of 1.58 times that of Earth.
Is K2-65 b in the Habitable Zone?
K2-65 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of K2-65. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of K2-65: 0.530–1.271 AU (conservative: 0.671–1.205 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on K2-65 b
K2-65 b receives 45.00 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on K2-65 b — one full orbit around K2-65 — lasts 12.6 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.101 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was K2-65 b Discovered?
K2-65 b was discovered in 2016 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.
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. K2-65 b scores 0.30, ranking #1,250 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: K2-65
K2-65
- Surface temperature
- 5,213 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.87 M☉
- Radius
- 0.84 R☉
Planetary System
K2-65 b is the only planet known to orbit K2-65 so far.
K2-65 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 1.580 Earth radii (0.141 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 12.65 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.101 AU |
| Stellar irradiation | 45.00× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.30 |
| Constellation | Aquarius |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | K2 |
| Discovery year | 2016 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2016-07-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About K2-65 b
Is K2-65 b habitable?
No — K2-65 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How big is K2-65 b compared to Earth?
K2-65 b has 1.58 times the radius of Earth.
How long is a year on K2-65 b?
One orbit around K2-65 takes 12.6 Earth days — short enough that 29 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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