K2-391 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
K2-391 b is a confirmed super-earth exoplanet orbiting the star K2-391, located approximately 1656.7 light-years (507.94 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2022 by K2 using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0493% across the stellar disk), this world measures 1.371 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 2.45 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 5.24 g/cm³ (a terrestrial silicate-iron composition comparable to Earth (5.51 g/cm³)), a surface gravity of 1.3 g⊕ (12.75 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 15 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around K2-391, K2-391 b completes one full revolution every 4.623 Earth days.
ℹ️ Thermal & Atmospheric Regime: Current photometric and spectroscopic constraints for K2-391 b place it outside the conservative habitable zone definition pending further atmospheric characterization.
The host star K2-391 is classified as a solar-type yellow star of spectral type G7 with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,543 K, a radius of 0.566 R☉, a mass of 0.757 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.271 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.543 dex (metal-poor relative to the Sun). From Earth, K2-391 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.527 (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 | K2-391 |
| Spectral Type | G7 |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 5,543 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.5660 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.7570 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.271 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.543 dex |
| Stellar Age | — |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 12.527 · G: 12.330 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | — |
| Orbital Period | 4.623 days |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | Circular (0.00) |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | — |
| Mean Bulk Density | 5.24 g/cm³ (15 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | — |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1656.700 LY (507.940 pc) |