Kepler-76 b
Kepler-76 b is a hot Jupiter orbiting Kepler-76 in the constellation Cygnus. It lies about 2,684 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2013 using the orbital brightness modulation method.
How Big Is Kepler-76 b?
Kepler-76 b has a radius of 15.24 times that of Earth, or 1.36 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 639 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 1.10 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is Kepler-76 b in the Habitable Zone?
Kepler-76 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Kepler-76. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Kepler-76: 1.173–2.727 AU (conservative: 1.486–2.585 AU), per Kopparapu et al. (2014). Earth orbits the Sun at 1 AU.
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Temperature on Kepler-76 b
The equilibrium temperature of Kepler-76 b is about 2,140 K (1,867 °C) — hot enough to melt many metals. 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-76 b — one full orbit around Kepler-76 — lasts just 37.1 hours, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.027 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun.
How Was Kepler-76 b Discovered?
Kepler-76 b was discovered in 2013 using the orbital brightness modulation method, with observations from Kepler.
Orbital brightness modulation detects a planet from minute periodic changes in the combined light of the system as the planet orbits — including light reflected by the planet and relativistic effects it induces on the star.
How Far Away Is Kepler-76 b?
Kepler-76 b is 2,684.1 light-years (823.0 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 2,684 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 47,240,160 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-76 b scores 0.06, ranking #5,146 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-76
Kepler-76
- Surface temperature
- 6,409 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.20 M☉
- Radius
- 1.32 R☉
Planetary System
Kepler-76 b is the only planet known to orbit Kepler-76 so far.
Kepler-76 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 15.244 Earth radii (1.360 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 638.84 Earth masses (2.010 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 1.10 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 1.54 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.027 AU |
| Equilibrium temperature | 2,140 K (1,867 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.06 |
| Distance from Earth | 2,684.1 light-years (823.0 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Discovery method | Orbital Brightness Modulation |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2013 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2015-10-07. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-76 b
Is Kepler-76 b habitable?
No — Kepler-76 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Kepler-76 b?
Kepler-76 b is about 2,684 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 47,240,160 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-76 b compared to Earth?
Kepler-76 b has 15.24 times the radius of Earth and about 639 times its mass.
How long is a year on Kepler-76 b?
One orbit around Kepler-76 takes 1.5 Earth days — short enough that 236 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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