Kepler-952 b

Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization

Kepler-952 b is a confirmed gas giant exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-952, located approximately 4253.9 light-years (1304.25 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2016 by Kepler using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.5019% across the stellar disk), this world measures 7.65 Earth radii (0.68 Jupiter radii) and has a measured mass of 45.4 Earth masses (0.14 Jupiter masses). Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 0.56 g/cm³ (a low bulk density dominated by an extended hydrogen-helium gaseous envelope), a surface gravity of 0.78 g⊕ (7.65 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 27.3 km/s.

In its orbital architecture around Kepler-952, Kepler-952 b completes one full revolution every 130.355 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.5183 AU (situated at an orbital separation between Mercury's 0.39 AU and Venus's 0.72 AU). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 43.3 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 369 K (+96°C / +205°F) and receiving 5.05 S⊕ (~6,868 W/m²), Kepler-952 b orbits interior to the runaway greenhouse boundary where surface liquid water cannot persist.

The host star Kepler-952 is classified as a stellar host with an effective photospheric temperature of 5,730 K, a radius of 0.99 R☉, a mass of 1 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.948 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 4.27 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = 0.06 dex (metal-rich relative to the Sun). From Earth, Kepler-952 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 15.323 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Northern celestial hemisphere.

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