KIC 3526061 b
KIC 3526061 b is a exoplanet orbiting KIC 3526061 in the constellation Lyra. It lies about 1,309 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2022 using the radial velocity method. It orbits within the habitable zone of its star — the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface.
Is KIC 3526061 b in the Habitable Zone?
KIC 3526061 b orbits inside the conservative habitable zone of KIC 3526061 — the region where a rocky planet could sustain liquid water on its surface. This makes it one of the most interesting known exoplanets in the search for life.
Habitable zone of KIC 3526061: 3.197–7.784 AU (conservative: 4.049–7.380 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 KIC 3526061 b — one full orbit around KIC 3526061 — lasts 3,552.0 Earth days, longer than an Earth year. It orbits at an average distance of 5.140 AU. Its orbit is highly elliptical (eccentricity 0.85), swinging dramatically closer to and farther from its star.
How Was KIC 3526061 b Discovered?
KIC 3526061 b was discovered in 2022 using the radial velocity method, with observations from McDonald Observatory.
The radial velocity method measures the subtle wobble of a star caused by the gravitational pull of an orbiting planet, visible as periodic shifts in the star's light spectrum. The size of the wobble reveals the planet's minimum mass.
How Far Away Is KIC 3526061 b?
KIC 3526061 b is 1,308.6 light-years (401.2 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,309 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 23,031,360 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. KIC 3526061 b scores 0.40, ranking #479 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: KIC 3526061
KIC 3526061
- Surface temperature
- 4,829 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.42 M☉
- Radius
- 5.86 R☉
- Luminosity
- 16.3999 L☉
Planetary System
KIC 3526061 b is the only planet known to orbit KIC 3526061 so far.
KIC 3526061 b — Complete Data
| Mass (best estimate) | 5,768.59 Earth masses |
|---|---|
| Orbital period | 3,552.00 days |
| Orbital distance | 5.140 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.850 |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.40 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,308.6 light-years (401.2 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Lyra |
| Discovery method | Radial Velocity |
| Discovery facility | McDonald Observatory |
| Discovery year | 2022 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2022-10-10. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About KIC 3526061 b
Is KIC 3526061 b habitable?
KIC 3526061 b orbits within the habitable zone of KIC 3526061, the region where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface. It sits in the conservative habitable zone — the most promising region for habitability. Whether it is actually habitable depends on its atmosphere and composition, which remain unknown.
How far away is KIC 3526061 b?
KIC 3526061 b is about 1,309 light-years from Earth in the constellation Lyra. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 23,031,360 years to get there.
How long is a year on KIC 3526061 b?
One orbit around KIC 3526061 takes 3,552.0 Earth days.
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