K2-52 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
K2-52 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star K2-52, located approximately 3386.8 light-years (1038.41 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by K2 using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.5668% across the stellar disk), this world has a measured radius of 18 Earth radii (1.61 R♃), though radial-velocity mass constraints remain unmeasured in the current composite catalogue.
In its orbital architecture around K2-52, K2-52 b completes one full revolution every 3.535 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.054 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 166.2 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s).
⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 2004 K (+1731°C / +3148°F) and receiving 1,124.00 S⊕ (~1,529,764 W/m²), K2-52 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.
The host star K2-52 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 7,147 K, a radius of 2.192 R☉, a mass of 1.691 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 11.248 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.055 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, K2-52 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 15.93 (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 | K2-52 |
| Spectral Type | Unclassified |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 7,147 K |
| Stellar Radius | 2.1920 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 1.6910 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 11.248 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.055 dex |
| Stellar Age | — |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 15.930 · G: 15.255 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.054000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 3.535 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 166.2 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | Circular (0.00) |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 86.4600° |
| Insolation Flux | 1124.0000 S⊕ (~1,529,764 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 3386.800 LY (1038.410 pc) |