Kepler-1248 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-1248 b is a confirmed terrestrial exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-1248, located approximately 1934.2 light-years (593.03 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.008% across the stellar disk), this world measures 1.18 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 1.76 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 5.91 g/cm³ (a terrestrial silicate-iron composition comparable to Earth (5.51 g/cm³)), a surface gravity of 1.26 g⊕ (12.36 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 13.7 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-1248, Kepler-1248 b completes one full revolution every 7.467 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.0806 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 117.4 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The orbit is modeled as circular (e = 0.00), maintaining a constant stellar distance throughout its year.

⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 1035 K (+762°C / +1404°F) and receiving 271.25 S⊕ (~369,171 W/m²), Kepler-1248 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-1248 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,149 K, a radius of 1.21 R☉, a mass of 1.21 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.878 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 1.51 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.24 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-1248 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.9 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

Discovery Facility: Kepler · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).