Kepler-1279 b
Kepler-1279 b is a super-Earth orbiting Kepler-1279 in the constellation Lyra. It lies about 4,874 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2016 using the transit method.
How Big Is Kepler-1279 b?
Kepler-1279 b has a radius of 1.75 times that of Earth.
Is Kepler-1279 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of Kepler-1279 b relative to the habitable zone of Kepler-1279 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of Kepler-1279: 1.126–2.627 AU (conservative: 1.427–2.490 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-1279 b — one full orbit around Kepler-1279 — lasts 23.5 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year.
How Was Kepler-1279 b Discovered?
Kepler-1279 b was discovered in 2016 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-1279 b?
Kepler-1279 b is 4,873.5 light-years (1,494.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 4,874 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 85,773,600 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-1279 b scores 0.27, ranking #2,452 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-1279
Kepler-1279
- Surface temperature
- 6,221 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.21 M☉
- Radius
- 1.33 R☉
- Age
- 2.8 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
Kepler-1279 b is the only planet known to orbit Kepler-1279 so far.
Kepler-1279 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 1.750 Earth radii (0.156 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 23.48 days |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.27 |
| Distance from Earth | 4,873.5 light-years (1,494.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2016 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2016-05-06. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-1279 b
Is Kepler-1279 b habitable?
Kepler-1279 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of Kepler-1279, and as a super-Earth it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is Kepler-1279 b?
Kepler-1279 b is about 4,874 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 85,773,600 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-1279 b compared to Earth?
Kepler-1279 b has 1.75 times the radius of Earth.
How long is a year on Kepler-1279 b?
One orbit around Kepler-1279 takes 23.5 Earth days — short enough that 16 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
Explore Kepler-1279 b in the app
Browse, filter and compare 6,000+ exoplanets on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch — with habitable-zone views, widgets and offline data.
