Kepler-79 b
Kepler-79 b is a puffy low-density planet orbiting Kepler-79 in the constellation Cygnus. It lies about 3,329 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2012 using the transit method.
How Big Is Kepler-79 b?
Kepler-79 b has a radius of 3.47 times that of Earth. Its mass is 10.9 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 1.43 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is Kepler-79 b in the Habitable Zone?
Kepler-79 b orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of Kepler-79. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of Kepler-79: 1.086–2.535 AU (conservative: 1.376–2.404 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-79 b — one full orbit around Kepler-79 — lasts 13.5 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.117 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.015).
How Was Kepler-79 b Discovered?
Kepler-79 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-79 b?
Kepler-79 b is 3,329.1 light-years (1,020.7 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 3,329 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 58,592,160 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-79 b scores 0.20, ranking #3,882 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-79
Kepler-79
- Surface temperature
- 6,174 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.17 M☉
- Radius
- 1.30 R☉
- Luminosity
- 2.1979 L☉
- Age
- 3.4 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The Kepler-79 Planetary System
Kepler-79 b is one of 4 known planets in the Kepler-79 system. Its siblings:
- Kepler-79 c (Puffy Planet)
- Kepler-79 d (Cold Gas Giant)
- Kepler-79 e (Puffy Planet)
Kepler-79 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 3.470 Earth radii (0.310 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 10.90 Earth masses (0.034 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 1.43 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 13.48 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.117 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.015 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.20 |
| Distance from Earth | 3,329.1 light-years (1,020.7 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2012 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2016-03-09. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kepler-79 b
Is Kepler-79 b habitable?
No — Kepler-79 b orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is Kepler-79 b?
Kepler-79 b is about 3,329 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 58,592,160 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-79 b compared to Earth?
Kepler-79 b has 3.47 times the radius of Earth and about 10.9 times its mass.
How long is a year on Kepler-79 b?
One orbit around Kepler-79 takes 13.5 Earth days — short enough that 27 of its years would fit into one Earth year.
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