Kepler-768 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-768 b is a confirmed super-earth exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-768, located approximately 2558.9 light-years (784.56 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0443% across the stellar disk), this world measures 1.79 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 3.86 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 3.71 g/cm³ (an intermediate density indicative of a deep water-ice mantle or dense volatile envelope), a surface gravity of 1.2 g⊕ (11.77 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 16.4 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-768, Kepler-768 b completes one full revolution every 11.391 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.092 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 87.9 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 618 K (+345°C / +653°F) and receiving 40.59 S⊕ (~55,242 W/m²), Kepler-768 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-768 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,108 K, a radius of 0.78 R☉, a mass of 0.82 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.372 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 4.57 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.03 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, Kepler-768 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 15.969 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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