Kepler-1527 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-1527 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-1527, located approximately 6008.2 light-years (1842.13 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.1098% across the stellar disk), this world measures 4.77 Earth radii (0.43 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 20.4 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 1.04 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.9 g⊕ (8.83 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 23.1 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-1527, Kepler-1527 b completes one full revolution every 160.13 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.6276 AU (situated at an orbital separation between Mercury's 0.39 AU and Venus's 0.72 AU). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 42.6 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 450 K (+177°C / +351°F) and receiving 7.81 S⊕ (~10,633 W/m²), Kepler-1527 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-1527 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,224 K, a radius of 1.32 R☉, a mass of 1.21 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 2.346 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 2.82 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.07 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-1527 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 15.161 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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