Kepler-118 c
Kepler-118 c is a cold gas giant orbiting Kepler-118 in the constellation Cygnus. It lies about 1,873 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2014 using the transit method.
How Big Is Kepler-118 c?
Kepler-118 c has a radius of 7.68 times that of Earth, or 0.69 times the radius of Jupiter.
Is Kepler-118 c in the Habitable Zone?
Kepler-118 c orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Kepler-118. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Kepler-118: 0.704–1.685 AU (conservative: 0.892–1.597 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 ›
Orbit and Year Length
A year on Kepler-118 c — one full orbit around Kepler-118 — lasts 20.2 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.141 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was Kepler-118 c Discovered?
Kepler-118 c was discovered in 2014 using the transit method, with observations from Kepler.
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 Kepler-118 c?
Kepler-118 c is 1,872.9 light-years (574.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,873 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 32,963,040 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. Kepler-118 c scores 0.16, ranking #4,163 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-118
Kepler-118
- Surface temperature
- 5,274 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Radius
- 1.09 R☉
The Kepler-118 Planetary System
Kepler-118 c is one of 2 known planets in the Kepler-118 system. Its siblings:
- Kepler-118 b (Super Earth)
Kepler-118 c — Complete Data
| Radius | 7.680 Earth radii (0.685 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 20.17 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.141 AU |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.16 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,872.9 light-years (574.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2014 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-118 c
Is Kepler-118 c habitable?
No — Kepler-118 c orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Kepler-118 c?
Kepler-118 c is about 1,873 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 32,963,040 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-118 c compared to Earth?
Kepler-118 c has 7.68 times the radius of Earth.
How long is a year on Kepler-118 c?
One orbit around Kepler-118 takes 20.2 Earth days — short enough that 18 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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