Kepler-696 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-696 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-696, located approximately 4619.8 light-years (1416.44 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.2717% across the stellar disk), this world measures 6.14 Earth radii (0.55 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 31.3 Earth masses (0.1 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.75 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.83 g⊕ (8.14 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 25.3 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-696, Kepler-696 b completes one full revolution every 4.19 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.0535 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 138.9 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 1234 K (+961°C / +1762°F) and receiving 607.53 S⊕ (~826,842 W/m²), Kepler-696 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-696 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,903 K, a radius of 1.08 R☉, a mass of 1.06 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.271 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 3.98 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.07 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-696 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 15.308 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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