KOI-94 e
KOI-94 e is a cold gas giant orbiting KOI-94 in the constellation Cygnus. It lies about 1,556 light-years from Earth and was discovered in 2013 using the transit method.
How Big Is KOI-94 e?
KOI-94 e has a radius of 6.56 times that of Earth, or 0.59 times the radius of Jupiter. Its mass is 35.0 times that of Earth, giving it a density of 0.60 g/cm³ — closer to gas planets like Jupiter (1.33 g/cm³).
Is KOI-94 e in the Habitable Zone?
KOI-94 e orbits inside the inner edge of the habitable zone of KOI-94. So close to its star, surface conditions are far too hot for liquid water.
Habitable zone of KOI-94: 1.271–2.967 AU (conservative: 1.610–2.813 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 ›
Temperature on KOI-94 e
The equilibrium temperature of KOI-94 e is about 584 K (311 °C) — hotter than anywhere on Earth. 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 KOI-94 e — one full orbit around KOI-94 — lasts 54.3 Earth days, shorter than Mercury's 88-day year. It orbits at an average distance of 0.305 AU — closer to its star than Mercury is to the Sun. Its orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity 0.019).
How Was KOI-94 e Discovered?
KOI-94 e was discovered in 2013 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 KOI-94 e?
KOI-94 e is 1,555.9 light-years (477.1 parsecs) from Earth. Light arriving here tonight left the planet about 1,556 years ago. A probe traveling at the speed of Voyager 1 — about 17 km/s, the fastest outbound spacecraft ever launched — would need roughly 27,383,840 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. KOI-94 e scores 0.16, ranking #4,176 of 5,568 planets with a known ESI. For reference, Mars scores about 0.70.
The Host Star: KOI-94
KOI-94 e belongs to a system of 2 stars; it orbits KOI-94.
KOI-94
- Surface temperature
- 6,182 K (Sun: 5,772 K)
- Mass
- 1.28 M☉
- Radius
- 1.52 R☉
- Luminosity
- 3.0130 L☉
- Age
- 3.2 billion years (Sun: 4.6)
The KOI-94 Planetary System
KOI-94 e is one of 4 known planets in the KOI-94 system. Its siblings:
KOI-94 e — Complete Data
| Radius | 6.560 Earth radii (0.585 Jupiter radii) |
|---|---|
| Mass | 35.00 Earth masses (0.110 Jupiter masses) |
| Density | 0.60 g/cm³ (Earth: 5.51) |
| Orbital period | 54.32 days |
| Orbital distance | 0.305 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.019 |
| Equilibrium temperature | 584 K (311 °C) |
| Earth Similarity Index | 0.16 |
| Distance from Earth | 1,555.9 light-years (477.1 parsecs) |
| Constellation | Cygnus |
| Discovery method | Transit |
| Discovery facility | Kepler |
| Discovery year | 2013 |
Data: NASA Exoplanet Archive, last updated 2014-05-14. Earth Similarity Index: PHL @ UPR Arecibo.
Frequently Asked Questions About KOI-94 e
Is KOI-94 e habitable?
No — KOI-94 e orbits too close to its star and is too hot for liquid water to exist on its surface.
How far away is KOI-94 e?
KOI-94 e is about 1,556 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. A spacecraft traveling as fast as Voyager 1 (about 17 km/s) would need roughly 27,383,840 years to get there.
How big is KOI-94 e compared to Earth?
KOI-94 e has 6.56 times the radius of Earth and about 35.0 times its mass.
How long is a year on KOI-94 e?
One orbit around KOI-94 takes 54.3 Earth days.