Kepler-1762 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-1762 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-1762, located approximately 5426.4 light-years (1663.74 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2021 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0418% across the stellar disk), this world measures 2.76 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 8.05 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.11 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 1.06 g⊕ (10.4 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 19.1 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-1762, Kepler-1762 b completes one full revolution every 29.539 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.204 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 75.1 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 714 K (+441°C / +826°F) and receiving 61.49 S⊕ (~83,688 W/m²), Kepler-1762 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-1762 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,572 K, a radius of 1.238 R☉, a mass of 1.298 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 2.565 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 0.28 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.07 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-1762 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 15.239 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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