Kepler-65 b
Kepler-65 b is a super-Earth orbiting Kepler-65 in the constellation Lyra. It lies about 991 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the transit method.
How Big Is Kepler-65 b?
Kepler-65 b has a radius of 1.42 times that of Earth.
Is Kepler-65 b in the Habitable Zone?
Kepler-65 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Kepler-65. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Kepler-65: 1.191–2.778 AU (conservative: 1.508–2.634 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-65 b — one full orbit around Kepler-65 — lasts 2.15 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.035 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was Kepler-65 b Discovered?
Kepler-65 b was discovered in 2012 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-65 b?
Kepler-65 b is 990.6 light-years (303.7 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet around the year 1036. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 17,434,560 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-65 b scores 0.28, ranking #2,149 of 5,565 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-65
Kepler-65
- Surface temperature
- 6,211 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.25 M☉
- Radius
- 1.41 R☉
- Age
- 2.9 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The Kepler-65 Planetary System
Kepler-65 b is one of 4 known planets in the Kepler-65 system. Its siblings:
- Kepler-65 c (Mini Neptune)
- Kepler-65 d (Super Earth)
- Kepler-65 e (Cold Gas Giant)
Kepler-65 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 1.420 Earth radii (0.127 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 2.15 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.035 AU |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.28 |
| Distance from Earth | 990.6 light-years (303.7 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-65 b
Is Kepler-65 b habitable?
No — Kepler-65 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Kepler-65 b?
Kepler-65 b is about 991 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 17,434,560 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-65 b compared to Earth?
Kepler-65 b has 1.42 times the radius of Earth.
How long is a year on Kepler-65 b?
One orbit around Kepler-65 takes 2.2 Earth days — short enough that 169 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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