Kepler-160 d
Kepler-160 d is a cold gas giant orbiting Kepler-160 in the constellation Lyra. It lies about 3,056 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2020 using the transit timing variations method.
Is Kepler-160 d in the Habitable Zone?
Kepler-160 d orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Kepler-160. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Kepler-160: 0.768–1.825 AU (conservative: 0.973–1.731 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-160 d — one full orbit around Kepler-160 — lasts 30.0 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.170 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was Kepler-160 d Discovered?
Kepler-160 d was discovered in 2020 using the transit timing variations method, with observations from Kepler.
Transit timing variations reveal a planet through its gravitational tug on a sibling planet, which makes that sibling's transits arrive slightly early or late. The pattern of these deviations betrays the hidden planet's mass and orbit.
How Far Away Is Kepler-160 d?
Kepler-160 d is 3,056.1 light-years (937.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 3,056 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 53,787,360 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-160 d scores 0.10, ranking #4,423 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-160
Kepler-160
- Surface temperature
- 5,471 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Radius
- 1.12 R☉
- Luminosity
- 1.0100 L☉
The Kepler-160 Planetary System
Kepler-160 d is one of 3 known planets in the Kepler-160 system. Its siblings:
- Kepler-160 b (Super Earth)
- Kepler-160 c (Sub Neptune)
Kepler-160 d — Complete Data
| Mass | 100.00 Earth masses (0.315 Jupiter masses) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 30.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.170 AU |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.10 |
| Distance from Earth | 3,056.1 light-years (937.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Discovery method | Transit Timing Variations |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2020 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2020-07-02. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-160 d
Is Kepler-160 d habitable?
No — Kepler-160 d orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Kepler-160 d?
Kepler-160 d is about 3,056 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 53,787,360 years to get there.
How long is a year on Kepler-160 d?
One orbit around Kepler-160 takes 30.0 Earth days — short enough that 12 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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