Kepler-525 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-525 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-525, located approximately 3238.2 light-years (992.85 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.044% across the stellar disk), this world measures 2.63 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 7.41 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.25 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 1.07 g⊕ (10.49 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 18.8 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-525, Kepler-525 b completes one full revolution every 18.684 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.14386 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 83.8 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 832 K (+559°C / +1038°F) and receiving 176.23 S⊕ (~239,852 W/m²), Kepler-525 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-525 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,573 K, a radius of 1.15 R☉, a mass of 0.95 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.145 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 10.47 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.11 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-525 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 13.613 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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