Kepler-22 b

Kepler-22b (also known by its Kepler Object of Interest designation KOI-087.01) is an exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of the Sun-like star Kepler-22. It is located about from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus. It was discovered by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope in December 2011 and was the first known transiting planet to orbit within the habitable zone of a Sun-like star, where liquid water could exist on the planet's surface. The planet's host star Kepler-22 is too dim to be seen with the naked eye.

AI overview

Kepler-22b is an exoplanet discovered by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope in 2011 that orbits a Sun-like star in the constellation Cygnus within a region where liquid water could potentially exist on its surface. It matters because it was the first known planet orbiting a Sun-like star to be found in this habitable zone, making it a significant milestone in the search for potentially life-supporting worlds beyond our solar system.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Planet.name: Kepler-22b
Planet.image: Kepler-22 diagram.jpg
Planet.caption: Artist's impression of the Kepler-22 system and its planet (sizes to scale) compared to the planets of the inner Solar System with their respective habitable zones.
Planet.discoverer: Kepler Science Team
Planet.discovery_site: Kepler telescope
Planet.discovered: 5 December 2011
Planet.discovery_method: Transit
Planet.apsis: astron
Planet.eccentricity: 0 (<0.72)
Planet.star: Kepler-22
Planet.single_temperature: (, equilibrium)

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Distance from Earth: 620
Diameter: 30900
Radius: 0.187
Mass: 0.0286
Orbital period: 289.863876
Image: Kepler-22 diagram.jpg

Show 12 more facts

Commons category: Kepler-22 b
catalog code: Kepler-22b
time of discovery or invention: 2012-02-00
right ascension: 289.21746007996455
declination: 47.88442987003722
semi-major axis of an orbit: 0.812
orbital inclination: 89.764
orbital eccentricity: 0.72
right ascension component of proper motion: -39.717
declination component of proper motion: -66.687
parallax: 5.1088
P8979: Riudaura

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Article

13 sections

Contents

Physical characteristics
Mass, radius, and temperature
Host star
Orbit
Habitability
Climate
Limits on satellites
Discovery and observation
Past transit dates
Appearances in media
See also
References
External links

Kepler-22b's radius is roughly twice that of Earth. Its mass and surface composition are unknown. However, an Earth-like composition for the planet is believed to be unlikely; it is more likely to be an ocean planet or have a volatile-rich composition with a liquid or gaseous outer shell. The only parameters of the planet's orbit that are currently available are its orbital period (about ) and its inclination (approximately 90°). Evidence suggests that the planet has a moderate surface temperature, assuming that the surface is not subject to extreme greenhouse heating. In the absence of an atmosphere, its equilibrium temperature (assuming an Earth-like albedo) would be approximately , slightly higher than that of Earth's .