K2-288 B b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
K2-288 B b is a confirmed super-earth exoplanet orbiting the star K2-288 B, located approximately 214 light-years (65.61 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2018 by K2 using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.2963% across the stellar disk), this world measures 1.9 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 4.27 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 3.43 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 1.18 g⊕ (11.57 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 16.8 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around K2-288 B, K2-288 B b completes one full revolution every 31.393 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.164 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 56.8 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s).
✓ Classified as a Temperate Habitable Zone Candidate.
With an estimated equilibrium temperature of 226 K (-47°C / -53°F) and an incident stellar irradiance of 0.44 S⊕ (~594 W/m²), K2-288 B b orbits within the empirical circumstellar habitable zone where a rocky surface under sufficient atmospheric pressure can maintain liquid surface water.
The host star K2-288 B is classified as a low-mass red dwarf of spectral type M3 V with an effective photospheric temperature of 3,341 K, a radius of 0.32 R☉, a mass of 0.33 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.011 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 1 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.21 dex (metal-poor relative to the Sun). From Earth, K2-288 B shines at apparent V-band magnitude 13.868 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern 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 | K2-288 B |
| Spectral Type | M3 V |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 3,341 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.3200 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.3300 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.011 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.210 dex |
| Stellar Age | 1.000 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 13.868 · G: 14.545 |
| System Architecture | 2 Stars, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.164000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 31.393 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 56.8 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | Circular (0.00) |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 89.8100° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 3.43 g/cm³ (16.8 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.4368 S⊕ (~594 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | ★ Temperate Zone |
| Celestial Distance | 214.000 LY (65.614 pc) |