Kepler-46 c
Kepler-46 c is a cold gas giant orbiting Kepler-46 in the constellation Lyra. It lies about 2,534 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the transit timing variations method.
Is Kepler-46 c in the Habitable Zone?
Kepler-46 c orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Kepler-46. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Kepler-46: 0.580–1.393 AU (conservative: 0.734–1.321 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 ›
Temperature on Kepler-46 c
The equilibrium temperature of Kepler-46 c is about 455 K (182 °C) — hotter than anywhere on Earth. This estimate ignores any atmosphere, which could change surface temperatures dramatically — Earth's greenhouse effect adds about 33 °C.
Orbit and Year Length
A year on Kepler-46 c — one full orbit around Kepler-46 — lasts 57.0 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.280 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.015).
How Was Kepler-46 c Discovered?
Kepler-46 c was discovered in 2012 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-46 c?
Kepler-46 c is 2,534.4 light-years (777.1 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 2,534 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 44,605,440 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-46 c scores 0.19, ranking #3,968 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-46
Kepler-46
- Surface temperature
- 5,155 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.90 M☉
- Radius
- 0.94 R☉
- Luminosity
- 0.5559 L☉
- Age
- 9.7 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The Kepler-46 Planetary System
Kepler-46 c is one of 3 known planets in the Kepler-46 system. Its siblings:
- Kepler-46 b (Cold Gas Giant)
- Kepler-46 d (Super Earth)
Kepler-46 c — Complete Data
| Mass | 119.50 Earth masses (0.376 Jupiter masses) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 57.01 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.280 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.015 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 455 K (182 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.19 |
| Distance from Earth | 2,534.4 light-years (777.1 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Discovery method | Transit Timing Variations |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2021-11-18. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-46 c
Is Kepler-46 c habitable?
No — Kepler-46 c orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Kepler-46 c?
Kepler-46 c is about 2,534 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 44,605,440 years to get there.
How long is a year on Kepler-46 c?
One orbit around Kepler-46 takes 57.0 Earth days.
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