Kepler-527 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-527 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-527, located approximately 2446.3 light-years (750.04 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0322% across the stellar disk), this world measures 2.84 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 8.45 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.03 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 19.3 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-527, Kepler-527 b completes one full revolution every 13.285 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.11646 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 95.4 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 1157 K (+884°C / +1623°F) and receiving 147.05 S⊕ (~200,130 W/m²), Kepler-527 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-527 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,388 K, a radius of 1.45 R☉, a mass of 1.28 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 3.141 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 2.4 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.03 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, Kepler-527 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 13.471 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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