K2-132 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
K2-132 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star K2-132, located approximately 1989 light-years (609.82 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2017 by K2 using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.1204% across the stellar disk), this world measures 14.572 Earth radii (1.3 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 155.737 Earth masses (0.49 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.28 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.73 g⊕ (7.16 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 36.6 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around K2-132, K2-132 b completes one full revolution every 9.175 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.0916 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 108.6 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.29, swinging from 0.065 AU at periapsis out to 0.1182 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1586 K (+1313°C / +2395°F) and receiving 293.37 S⊕ (~399,282 W/m²), K2-132 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star K2-132 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 4,840 K, a radius of 3.85 R☉, a mass of 1.08 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 7.298 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 8.5 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.01 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, K2-132 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.071 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Southern celestial hemisphere.
Methodology: Computed using the Schulze-Makuch et al. (2011) weighted metric comparing physical interior (radius, estimated density) and surface thermal regime (escape velocity, equilibrium temperature).
Discovery Facility: K2 · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | K2-132 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 4,840 K |
| Stellar Radius | 3.8500 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.0800 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 7.298 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.010 dex |
| Stellar Age | 8.500 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 12.071 · G: 11.640 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.091600 AU |
| Orbital Period | 9.175 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 108.6 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.29000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 77.4600° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 0.28 g/cm³ (36.6 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 293.3740 S⊕ (~399,282 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1989.000 LY (609.818 pc) |