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Kepler-127 b

Super Earth Lyra

Kepler-127 b is a super-Earth orbiting Kepler-127 in the constellation Lyra. It lies about 1,151 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2014 using the transit method.

1.40×Earth radius
14 dOrbital period
0.29Earth similarity
1,151 lyDistance
2014Discovered

How Big Is Kepler-127 b?

Earth1.00 R⊕Kepler-127 b1.40 R⊕
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Kepler-127 b has a radius of 1.40 times that of Earth.

Is Kepler-127 b in the Habitable Zone?

Kepler-127 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Kepler-127. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.

Kepler-127 b
Too hot Optimistic habitable zone Conservative habitable zone Too cold

Habitable zone of Kepler-127: 1.116–2.610 AU (conservative: 1.414–2.474 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.

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Orbit and Year Length

A year on Kepler-127 b — one full orbit around Kepler-127 — lasts 14.4 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.125 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.

How Was Kepler-127 b Discovered?

Kepler-127 b 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-127 b?

Kepler-127 b is 1,150.7 light-years (352.8 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,151 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 20,252,320 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-127 b scores 0.29, ranking #1,816 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.

The Host Star: Kepler-127

Kepler-127

Surface temperature
6,106 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
Radius
1.36 R☉

The Kepler-127 Planetary System

Kepler-127 b is one of 3 known planets in the Kepler-127 system. Its siblings:

Kepler-127 b — Complete Data

Radius1.400 Earth radii (0.125 Jupiter radii)
Orbital period14.44 days
Orbital distance0.125 AU
Earth Similarity Index0.29
Distance from Earth1,150.7 light-years (352.8 parsecs)
ConstellationLyra
Discovery methodTransit
Discovery facilityKepler
Discovery year2014

Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-127 b

Is Kepler-127 b habitable?

No — Kepler-127 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.

How far away is Kepler-127 b?

Kepler-127 b is about 1,151 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 20,252,320 years to get there.

How big is Kepler-127 b compared to Earth?

Kepler-127 b has 1.40 times the radius of Earth.

How long is a year on Kepler-127 b?

One orbit around Kepler-127 takes 14.4 Earth days — short enough that 25 of its years would fit into one Earth year.

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