K2-160 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
K2-160 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star K2-160, located approximately 1028.6 light-years (315.36 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2018 by K2 using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.1017% across the stellar disk), this world measures 3.178 Earth radii (0.28 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 10.2 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 1.75 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 1.01 g⊕ (9.9 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 20 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around K2-160, K2-160 b completes one full revolution every 3.706 Earth days.
☁️ Atmospheric Regime (Volatile / Gas Envelope): With a radius of 3.178 R⊕, K2-160 b exceeds the empirical ~1.8–2.2 R⊕ Fulton radius valley threshold, indicating a substantial hydrogen-helium or supercritical volatile envelope without a conventional solid terrestrial surface.
The host star K2-160 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,649 K, a radius of 0.9138 R☉, a mass of 0.9828 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.763 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.07 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, K2-160 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.838 (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 | K2-160 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,649 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.9138 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.9828 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.763 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.070 dex |
| Stellar Age | — |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 12.838 · G: 12.542 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | — |
| Orbital Period | 3.706 days |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | Circular (0.00) |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 88.2536° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 1.75 g/cm³ (20 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | — |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1028.600 LY (315.363 pc) |