Kepler-545 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-545 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-545, located approximately 2668 light-years (818 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0531% across the stellar disk), this world measures 2.69 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 7.7 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.18 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 18.9 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-545, Kepler-545 b completes one full revolution every 13.249 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.11248 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 92.4 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 806 K (+533°C / +991°F) and receiving 101.14 S⊕ (~137,656 W/m²), Kepler-545 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-545 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,882 K, a radius of 1.07 R☉, a mass of 1.04 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.23 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 4.47 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.03 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, Kepler-545 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 14.205 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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