Kepler-480 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-480 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-480, located approximately 2764.2 light-years (847.51 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0362% across the stellar disk), this world measures 2.78 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 8.15 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.09 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 1.05 g⊕ (10.3 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 19.2 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-480, Kepler-480 b completes one full revolution every 4.92 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.06024 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 133.2 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 1312 K (+1039°C / +1902°F) and receiving 764.08 S⊕ (~1,039,910 W/m²), Kepler-480 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-480 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,322 K, a radius of 1.34 R☉, a mass of 1.25 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 2.573 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 2.34 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.11 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-480 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 13.23 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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