TOI-715 b
Astrophysical Synthesis & Habitability Characterization
TOI-715 b is a confirmed super-earth exoplanet orbiting the star TOI-715, located approximately 138.3 light-years (42.41 parsecs) from the Solar System. First announced in 2023 by Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) using the Transit detection technique (producing an estimated primary transit depth of 0.3506% across the stellar disk), this world measures 1.55 Earth radii and has a measured mass of 3.02 Earth masses. Combining its mass and radius yields a mean bulk density of 4.47 g/cm³ (a terrestrial silicate-iron composition comparable to Earth (5.51 g/cm³)), a surface gravity of 1.26 g⊕ (12.36 m/s²), and an escape velocity of 15.6 km/s.
In its orbital architecture around TOI-715, TOI-715 b completes one full revolution every 19.288 Earth days at a semi-major axis of 0.083 AU (orbiting interior to Mercury's 0.387 AU benchmark in the Solar System). Its mean orbital velocity is approximately 46.8 km/s (compared to Earth's 29.8 km/s).
✓ Classified as a Temperate Habitable Zone Candidate.
With an estimated equilibrium temperature of 234 K (-39°C / -38°F) and an incident stellar irradiance of 0.67 S⊕ (~912 W/m²), TOI-715 b orbits within the empirical circumstellar habitable zone where a rocky surface under sufficient atmospheric pressure can maintain liquid surface water.
The host star TOI-715 is classified as a low-mass red dwarf of spectral type M4 with an effective photospheric temperature of 3,075 K, a radius of 0.24 R☉, a mass of 0.225 M☉, an estimated bolometric luminosity of 0.00462 L☉. Stellar evolution modeling indicates an estimated stellar age of 6.2 Gyr and a metallicity of [Fe/H] = -0.25 dex (metal-poor relative to the Sun). From Earth, TOI-715 shines at apparent V-band magnitude 16.683 (faint and requiring research-grade or CCD telescopic photometry) in the Southern celestial hemisphere.
Methodology: Computed using the Schulze-Makuch et al. (2011) weighted metric comparing physical interior (radius, estimated density) and surface thermal regime (escape velocity, equilibrium temperature).
Discovery Facility: Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) · Catalogue Source: NASA Exoplanet Archive (IPAC / Caltech).
☀️ Host Star Telemetry
| Host Star Name | TOI-715 |
| Spectral Type | M4 |
| Effective Temp (Teff) | 3,075 K |
| Stellar Radius | 0.2400 R☉ |
| Stellar Mass | 0.2250 M☉ |
| Bolometric Luminosity | 0.00462 L☉ |
| Metallicity [Fe/H] | -0.250 dex |
| Stellar Age | 6.200 Gyr |
| Apparent Magnitude | V: 16.683 · G: 14.894 |
| System Architecture | 1 Star, 1 Planet |
🪐 Orbital & Physical Dynamics
| Semi-Major Axis (a) | 0.083000 AU |
| Orbital Period | 19.288 days |
| Mean Orbital Velocity | 46.8 km/s |
| Orbital Eccentricity (e) | Circular (0.00) |
| Orbital Inclination (i) | 89.8560° |
| Mean Bulk Density | 4.47 g/cm³ (15.6 km/s vesc) |
| Insolation Flux | 0.6700 S⊕ (~912 W/m²) |
| Habitable Zone Status | ★ Temperate Zone |
| Celestial Distance | 138.300 LY (42.405 pc) |