Kepler-167 e
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
Kepler-167 e is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-167, located approximately 1115.2 light-years (341.91 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 1.5466% across the stellar disk), this world measures 10.16 Earth radii (0.91 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 321.007 Earth masses (1.01 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 1.69 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 3.11 g⊕ (30.5 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 62.9 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around Kepler-167, Kepler-167 e completes one full revolution every 1071.232 Earth days (2.93Julian years) at a semi-major axis of 1.883 AU (corresponding to the middle-system regime between Mars at 1.52 AU and Jupiter at 5.20 AU). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 19.1 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s). The planet follows a highly eccentric trajectory (e = 0.29, swinging from 1.3369 AU at periapsis out to 2.4291 AU at apoapsis), pointing to past dynamical scattering or secular gravitational perturbations.
❄️ Thermal Regime (Cryogenic Zone): With an equilibrium temperature of 134 K (-139°C / -218°F) and an incident flux of 0.10 S⊕ (~136 W/m²), surface water and volatile species on Kepler-167 e would remain locked in cryogenic ice phases unless warmed by subsurface tidal or radiogenic heating.
The host star Kepler-167 is classified as an orange K-type star of spectral type K4 with an effective photospheric temperature of 4,884 K, a radius of 0.749 R☉, a mass of 0.777 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.286 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 7.1 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.02 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, Kepler-167 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 14.284 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere. The Kepler-167 system is a multi-planet architecture hosting 4 confirmed worlds, with Kepler-167 e sharing its stellar neighborhood alongside Kepler-167 b, Kepler-167 c, Kepler-167 d.
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: Kepler · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | Kepler-167 |
| Spectral Type | K4 |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 4,884 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.7490 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.7770 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.286 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | 0.020 dex |
| Stellar Age | 7.100 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 14.284 · G: 14.000 |
| System Architecture | 2 Stars, 4 Planets |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 1.883000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 1071.232 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 19.1 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | 0.29000 |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 89.9720° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 1.69 g/cm³ (62.9 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.1000 S⊕ (~136 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | Exterior / Non-HZ |
| Celestial Distance | 1115.200 LY (341.908 pc) |