Kepler-1491 b
Kepler-1491 b is a super-Earth orbiting Kepler-1491 in the constellation Cygnus. It lies about 6,737 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2016 using the transit method.
How Big Is Kepler-1491 b?
Kepler-1491 b has a radius of 1.51 times that of Earth.
Is Kepler-1491 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of Kepler-1491 b relative to the habitable zone of Kepler-1491 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of Kepler-1491: 0.732–1.728 AU (conservative: 0.928–1.638 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-1491 b — one full orbit around Kepler-1491 — lasts 16.6 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year.
How Was Kepler-1491 b Discovered?
Kepler-1491 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-1491 b?
Kepler-1491 b is 6,737.0 light-years (2,065.6 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 6,737 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 118,571,200 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-1491 b scores 0.29, ranking #1,935 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-1491
Kepler-1491
- Surface temperature
- 5,728 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.00 M☉
- Radius
- 0.99 R☉
- Age
- 4.6 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The Kepler-1491 Planetary System
Kepler-1491 b is one of 2 known planets in the Kepler-1491 system. Its siblings:
- Kepler-1491 c (Mini Neptune)
Kepler-1491 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 1.510 Earth radii (0.135 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 16.59 days |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.29 |
| Distance from Earth | 6,737.0 light-years (2,065.6 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| 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-1491 b
Is Kepler-1491 b habitable?
Kepler-1491 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of Kepler-1491, and as a super-Earth it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is Kepler-1491 b?
Kepler-1491 b is about 6,737 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 118,571,200 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-1491 b compared to Earth?
Kepler-1491 b has 1.51 times the radius of Earth.
How long is a year on Kepler-1491 b?
One orbit around Kepler-1491 takes 16.6 Earth days — short enough that 22 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
Explore Kepler-1491 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.
