Kepler-296 f
Kepler-296 f is a super-Earth orbiting Kepler-296 in the constellation Draco. It lies about 545 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2014 using the transit method. It orbits within the habitable zone of its star — the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface.
How Big Is Kepler-296 f?
Kepler-296 f has a radius of 1.80 times that of Earth.
Is Kepler-296 f in the Habitable Zone?
Kepler-296 f orbits inside the conservative habitable zone of Kepler-296 — the region where a rocky planet could sustain liquid water on its surface. This makes it one of the most interesting known exoplanets in the search for life.
Habitable zone of Kepler-296: 0.164–0.420 AU (conservative: 0.208–0.399 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on Kepler-296 f
Kepler-296 f receives 0.62 times the stellar energy that Earth gets from the Sun.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on Kepler-296 f — one full orbit around Kepler-296 — lasts 63.3 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.255 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.33), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was Kepler-296 f Discovered?
Kepler-296 f 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-296 f?
Kepler-296 f is 544.7 light-years (167.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1482. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 9,586,720 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-296 f scores 0.66, ranking #88 of 5,565 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-296
Kepler-296 f belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits Kepler-296.
Kepler-296
- Surface temperature
- 3,740 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.50 M☉
- Radius
- 0.48 R☉
The Kepler-296 Planetary System
Kepler-296 f is one of 5 known planets in the Kepler-296 system. Its siblings:
- Kepler-296 b (Super Earth)
- Kepler-296 c (Super Earth)
- Kepler-296 d (Mini Neptune)
- Kepler-296 e (Super Earth)
Kepler-296 f — Complete Data
| Radius | 1.800 Earth radii (0.161 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 63.34 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.255 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.330 |
| Stellar irradiation | 0.62× Earth |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.66 |
| Distance from Earth | 544.7 light-years (167.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Draco |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2014 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2015-09-02. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-296 f
Is Kepler-296 f habitable?
Kepler-296 f orbits within the habitable zone of Kepler-296, the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. It sits in the conservative habitable zone — the most promising region for habitability. Whether it is actually habitable depends on its atmosphere and composition, which remain unknown.
How far away is Kepler-296 f?
Kepler-296 f is about 545 light-years from Earth in the constellation Draco. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 9,586,720 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-296 f compared to Earth?
Kepler-296 f has 1.80 times the radius of Earth.
How long is a year on Kepler-296 f?
One orbit around Kepler-296 takes 63.3 Earth days.
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