Kepler-95 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-95 b is a confirmed sub-neptune exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-95, located approximately 1453.5 light-years (445.66 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2014 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.0494% across the stellar disk), this world measures 3.42 Earth radii (0.31 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 13 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 1.79 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 1.11 g⊕ (10.89 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 21.8 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-95, Kepler-95 b completes one full revolution every 11.523 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.10232 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 96.6 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 927 K (+654°C / +1209°F) and receiving 178.83 S⊕ (~243,390 W/m²), Kepler-95 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-95 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,699 K, a radius of 1.41 R☉, a mass of 1.08 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.882 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 5.63 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.3 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-95 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 12.382 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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