Kepler-620 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-620 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-620, located approximately 4420.3 light-years (1355.28 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0622% across the stellar disk), this world measures 3.32 Earth radii (0.3 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 11 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 1.66 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 1 g⊕ (9.81 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 20.4 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-620, Kepler-620 b completes one full revolution every 12.914 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.1053 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 88.7 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 849 K (+576°C / +1069°F) and receiving 219.05 S⊕ (~298,128 W/m²), Kepler-620 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-620 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 6,155 K, a radius of 1.22 R☉, a mass of 1.15 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.917 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 3.02 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.03 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, Kepler-620 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 14.844 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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