Kepler-510 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-510 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-510, located approximately 1259.5 light-years (386.18 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0258% across the stellar disk), this world measures 2.47 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 6.66 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.44 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 1.09 g⊕ (10.69 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 18.4 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-510, Kepler-510 b completes one full revolution every 19.557 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.1352 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 75.2 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 797 K (+524°C / +975°F) and receiving 114.39 S⊕ (~155,683 W/m²), Kepler-510 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-510 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,746 K, a radius of 1.41 R☉, a mass of 0.91 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.944 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 10.47 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.35 dex (metal-poor relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-510 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.067 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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