Kepler-850 b
Kepler-850 b is a super-Earth orbiting Kepler-850 in the constellation Cygnus. It lies about 5,418 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2016 using the transit method.
How Big Is Kepler-850 b?
Kepler-850 b has a radius of 1.78 times that of Earth.
Is Kepler-850 b in the Habitable Zone?
The position of Kepler-850 b relative to the habitable zone of Kepler-850 cannot be precisely determined from the available orbital data.
Habitable zone of Kepler-850: 0.854–2.005 AU (conservative: 1.082–1.901 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-850 b — one full orbit around Kepler-850 — lasts 7.19 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year.
How Was Kepler-850 b Discovered?
Kepler-850 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-850 b?
Kepler-850 b is 5,418.4 light-years (1,661.3 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 5,418 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 95,363,840 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-850 b scores 0.27, ranking #2,594 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: Kepler-850
Kepler-850
- Surface temperature
- 5,932 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.06 M☉
- Radius
- 1.09 R☉
- Age
- 3.9 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
Planetary System
Kepler-850 b is the only planet known to orbit Kepler-850 so far.
Kepler-850 b — Complete Data
| Radius | 1.780 Earth radii (0.159 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 7.19 days |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.27 |
| Distance from Earth | 5,418.4 light-years (1,661.3 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-850 b
Is Kepler-850 b habitable?
Kepler-850 b is not known to orbit within the habitable zone of Kepler-850, and as a super-Earth it is an unlikely candidate for life as we know it.
How far away is Kepler-850 b?
Kepler-850 b is about 5,418 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 95,363,840 years to get there.
How big is Kepler-850 b compared to Earth?
Kepler-850 b has 1.78 times the radius of Earth.
How long is a year on Kepler-850 b?
One orbit around Kepler-850 takes 7.2 Earth days — short enough that 51 of its years would fit into one Earth year.