Kepler-745 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-745 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-745, located approximately 5806.8 light-years (1780.38 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0363% across the stellar disk), this world measures 2.16 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 5.31 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 2.91 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 1.14 g⊕ (11.18 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 17.5 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-745, Kepler-745 b completes one full revolution every 9.931 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.0915 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 100.2 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 931 K (+658°C / +1216°F) and receiving 286.03 S⊕ (~389,281 W/m²), Kepler-745 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-745 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,849 K, a radius of 1.04 R☉, a mass of 1.04 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.136 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 4.07 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.06 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-745 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 15.427 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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