Kepler-561 b
Kepler-561 b is a cold gas giant orbiting Kepler-561 in the constellation Cygnus. It lies about 2,027 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2016 using the transit method.
How Big Is Kepler-561 b?
Kepler-561 b has a radius of 6.96 times that of Earth, or 0.62 times the radius of Jupiter.
Is Kepler-561 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of Kepler-561 b relative to the habitable zone of Kepler-561 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of Kepler-561: 0.679–1.605 AU (conservative: 0.860–1.522 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-561 b — one full orbit around Kepler-561 — lasts 58.4 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year.
How Was Kepler-561 b Discovered?
Kepler-561 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-561 b?
Kepler-561 b is 2,026.7 light-years (621.4 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 2,027 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 35,669,920 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-561 b scores 0.24, ranking #3,317 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-561
Kepler-561
- Surface temperature
- 5,646 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 0.96 M☉
- Radius
- 0.94 R☉
- Age
- 4.3 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The Kepler-561 Planetary System
Kepler-561 b is one of 2 known planets in the Kepler-561 system. Its siblings:
- Kepler-561 c (Mini Neptune)
Kepler-561 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 6.960 Earth radii (0.621 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 58.36 days |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.24 |
| Distance from Earth | 2,026.7 light-years (621.4 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-561 b
Is Kepler-561 b habitable?
Kepler-561 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of Kepler-561, and as a cold gas giant it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is Kepler-561 b?
Kepler-561 b is about 2,027 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 35,669,920 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-561 b compared to Earth?
Kepler-561 b has 6.96 times the radius of Earth.
How long is a year on Kepler-561 b?
One orbit around Kepler-561 takes 58.4 Earth days.
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