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Kepler-65 d

Super Earth Lyra

Kepler-65 d 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.

1.52×Earth radius
8.1 dOrbital period
0.28Earth similarity
991 lyDistance
2012Discovered

How Big Is Kepler-65 d?

Earth1.00 R⊕Kepler-65 d1.52 R⊕
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Kepler-65 d has a radius of 1.52 times that of Earth.

Is Kepler-65 d in the Habitable Zone?

The position of Kepler-65 d relative to the habitable zone of Kepler-65 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.

Orbit and Year Length

A year on Kepler-65 d — one full orbit around Kepler-65 — lasts 8.13 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.084 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.

How Was Kepler-65 d Discovered?

Kepler-65 d 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 d?

Kepler-65 d 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 d scores 0.28, ranking #2,208 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.

The Host Star: Kepler-65

Kepler-65

Mass
1.25 M☉
Radius
1.44 R☉

The Kepler-65 Planetary System

Kepler-65 d is one of 4 known planets in the Kepler-65 system. Its siblings:

Kepler-65 d — Complete Data

Radius1.520 Earth radii (0.136 Jupiter radii)
Orbital period8.13 days
Orbital distance0.084 AU
Earth Similarity Index0.28
Distance from Earth990.6 light-years (303.7 parsecs)
ConstellationLyra
Discovery methodTransit
Discovery facilityKepler
Discovery year2012

Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-65 d

Is Kepler-65 d habitable?

Kepler-65 d is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of Kepler-65, and as a super-Earth it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.

How far away is Kepler-65 d?

Kepler-65 d 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 d compared to Earth?

Kepler-65 d has 1.52 times the radius of Earth.

How long is a year on Kepler-65 d?

One orbit around Kepler-65 takes 8.1 Earth days — short enough that 45 of its years would fit into one Earth year.

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