Kepler-160 d

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-160 d is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-160, located approximately 3056.1 light-years (937.01 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2020 by Kepler using the Transit Timing Variations detection technique, this world has a minimum or true mass of 100 Earth masses (0.31 M♃), while its physical transit radius has not yet been geometrically observed.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-160, Kepler-160 d completes one full revolution every 30 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.17 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 61.6 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s).

⚠️ Thermal Regime (Irradiated / Hot Zone): At an equilibrium temperature of 677 K (+404°C / +759°F) and receiving 34.95 S⊕ (~47,564 W/m²), Kepler-160 d orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-160 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,471 K, a radius of 1.118 R☉, a mass of 1.003 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.005 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 6.03 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.2 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-160 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 14.816 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere. The Kepler-160 system is a multi-planet architecture hosting 3 confirmed worlds, with Kepler-160 d sharing its stellar neighborhood alongside Kepler-160 b, Kepler-160 c.

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