Kepler-682 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-682 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-682, located approximately 6455.4 light-years (1979.25 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.5764% across the stellar disk), this world measures 7.37 Earth radii (0.66 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 42.6 Earth masses (0.13 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.59 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.78 g⊕ (7.65 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 26.9 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-682, Kepler-682 b completes one full revolution every 12.612 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.1058 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 91.3 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 753 K (+480°C / +896°F) and receiving 306.10 S⊕ (~416,605 W/m²), Kepler-682 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-682 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,559 K, a radius of 0.89 R☉, a mass of 0.92 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.679 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 3.98 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.05 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, Kepler-682 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 15.556 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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