Kepler-950 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-950 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-950, located approximately 7050.2 light-years (2161.6 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.6515% across the stellar disk), this world measures 8.98 Earth radii (0.8 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 59.6 Earth masses (0.19 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.45 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.74 g⊕ (7.26 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 28.8 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-950, Kepler-950 b completes one full revolution every 98.718 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.3982 AU (situated at an orbital separation between Mercury's 0.39 AU and Venus's 0.72 AU). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 43.9 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 360 K (+87°C / +189°F) and receiving 3.97 S⊕ (~5,403 W/m²), Kepler-950 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-950 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,857 K, a radius of 1.02 R☉, a mass of 1.02 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 1.098 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 3.8 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.02 dex (near-solar heavy-element abundance). From Earth, Kepler-950 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 16 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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