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Kepler-78 b
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Kepler-78 b

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Also known as Kepler-78Ab

Kepler-78b (formerly known as KIC 8435766 b) is an exoplanet orbiting around the star Kepler-78. At the time of its discovery, it was the exoplanet most similar to Earth in terms of mass, radius, and mean density.

Astronomical data · SIMBAD

Object type
Pl
Distance
407 light-years
Coordinates
RA 293.7417° · Dec 44.4483°
View on SIMBAD →

via SIMBAD · CDS Strasbourg

Key facts

Planet.extrasolarplanet
yes
Planet.name
Kepler-78b
Planet.image
Exoplanet Comparison Kepler-78 b.png
Planet.caption
Size comparison of Kepler-78b with Earth
Planet.apsis
astron
Planet.discovered
November 5, 2013
Planet.discovery_method
Transit and reflection/emission modulations (Kepler Mission)
Planet.alt_names
KIC 8435766 b
Planet.eccentricity
0
Planet.period
days( hours)
Planet.star
Kepler-78
Planet.surface_grav
log g = (1.16 g)
Planet.single_temperature
( °C,  °F)

via Wikipedia infobox

Exoplanet data

Host star
Kepler-78
Discovered
2013
Discovered by
Kepler
Orbital period
0.36 days
Radius
1.20 × Earth
Mass
1.68 × Earth
Equilibrium temp
2223 K
Distance
124.38 pc

via NASA Exoplanet Archive

~4 min read

Encyclopedic overview

7 sections
Contents
  • Discovery
  • Characteristics
  • Size, mass, and composition
  • Environment
  • Origin
  • References
  • External links

Kepler-78b (formerly known as KIC 8435766 b) is an exoplanet orbiting around the star Kepler-78. At the time of its discovery, it was the exoplanet most similar to Earth in terms of mass, radius, and mean density.

==Discovery== Kepler-78b is the only planet to be found orbiting the star KIC 8435766, now known as Kepler-78. The planet was discovered in 2013 by analyzing data from the Kepler space telescope. The planet was detected as it passed across the surface of its host star, as viewed from Earth. It was also found by the effects of occultation as it passed behind the star. Reflected light from the parent star due to orbital phases was also detected. It was not at first designated as a Kepler object of interest, as data analysis failed to identify it due to its short orbital period.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Kepler-78 b” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.