Kepler-1360 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-1360 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-1360, located approximately 4945.4 light-years (1516.27 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.029% across the stellar disk), this world measures 3.4 Earth radii (0.3 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 11.5 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 1.61 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.99 g⊕ (9.71 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 20.6 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-1360, Kepler-1360 b completes one full revolution every 40.529 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.2866 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 76.9 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 933 K (+660°C / +1220°F) and receiving 82.56 S⊕ (~112,370 W/m²), Kepler-1360 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-1360 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,778 K, a radius of 1.83 R☉, a mass of 1.51 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 6.342 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 1.55 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.06 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-1360 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 14.007 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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