kap And b
kap And b is a hot Jupiter orbiting the B9 IVn star kap And in the constellation Andromeda. It lies about 163 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the imaging method.
How Big Is kap And b?
kap And b has a radius of 15.92 times that of Earth, or 1.42 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 5,498 times that of Earth.
Is kap And b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of kap And b relative to the habitable zone of kap And cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Temperature on kap And b
The equilibrium temperature of kap And b is about 1,791 K (1,518 °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.
How Was kap And b Discovered?
kap And b was discovered in 2012 using the imaging method, with observations from Subaru Telescope.
Direct imaging captures actual pictures of a planet by blocking out the overwhelming glare of its host star. It works best for young, hot, massive planets on wide orbits.
How Far Away Is kap And b?
kap And b is 163.1 light-years (50.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1863. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 2,870,560 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. kap And b scores 0.10, ranking #4,476 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: kap And
kap And
- Spectral type
- B9 IVn
- Surface temperature
- 11,327 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 2.77 M☉
- Radius
- 2.11 R☉
- Luminosity
- 62.6037 L☉
- Age
- 0.0 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
kap And b is the only planet known to orbit kap And so far.
kap And b — Complete Data
| Radius | 15.917 Earth radii (1.420 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 5,498.43 Earth masses (17.300 Jupiter masses) |
| Equilibrium temperature | 1,791 K (1,518 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.10 |
| Distance from Earth | 163.1 light-years (50.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Andromeda |
| Discovery method | Imaging |
| Discovery facility | Subaru Telescope |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2026-05-07. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About kap And b
Is kap And b habitable?
kap And b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of kap And, and as a hot Jupiter it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is kap And b?
kap And b is about 163 light-years from Earth in the constellation Andromeda. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 2,870,560 years to get there.
How big is kap And b compared to Earth?
kap And b has 15.92 times the radius of Earth and about 5,498 times its mass.
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