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K2-315b

Warm terrestrial exoplanet orbiting K2-315 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

K2-315b is an exoplanet located 185.3 light-years away from Earth in the southern zodiac constellation Libra.[2][3] It orbits the red dwarf K2-315.

Quick facts Discovery, Discovered by ...
K2-315b
Size comparison of the planet K2-315b (artistic concept) with Earth
Discovery[1]
Discovered byKepler (K2)
Discovery date2020
Transit
Orbital characteristics[1]
0.02±0.00 AU
3.14±0.00 d
Inclination88.7°±0.2°
Physical characteristics
0.95±0.06 R🜨[1]
Temperature460 ± 5 K (186.85 ± 5.00 °C; 368.33 ± 9.00 °F)[1]
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Discovery

K2-315b was discovered in 2020 by astronomers in an observatory using the Kepler space telescope.[1] It is also nicknamed the "Pi Planet" or "Pi Earth" because it takes approximately 3.14 days to orbit the host star.[4][5][6]

Physical properties

The planet is thought to be small and rocky, although composition is unknown.[4] Since it orbits very close to its star, it is too hot to host life, due to it having a temperature of 450 K. It has a radius 95% that of Earth,[7] very similar to Venus.

Host star

Quick facts Constellation, Right ascension ...
K2-315
The location of K2-315 (circled in red)
The location of K2-315 (circled in red)
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Libra[8]
Right ascension 15h 12m 05.1944s[9]
Declination −20° 06′ 30.5428″[9]
Apparent magnitude (V) 17.67[10]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage Red dwarf
Spectral type M3.5±0.5 V[11]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)6.25±0.17[11] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: −120.013 mas/yr[9]
Dec.: +74.471 mas/yr[9]
Parallax (π)17.6353±0.0492 mas[9]
Distance184.9 ± 0.5 ly
(56.7 ± 0.2 pc)
Details[11]
Mass0.174±0.004 M☉
Radius0.2±0.01 R☉
Luminosity0.398% L☉
Surface gravity (log g)5.094±0.006 cgs
Temperature3,300±30 K
Metallicity [Fe/H]−0.24±0.09 dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)<5 km/s
Age>1 Gyr
Other designations
K2-315, EPIC 249631677
Database references
SIMBADdata
Close

K2-315 is a star in the southern zodiac constellation Libra.[12] It has an apparent magnitude of 17.67,[10] requiring a powerful telescope to be seen. The star is relatively close at a distance of 185 light-years[9] but is receding with a radial velocity of 6.25 km/s.[11]

K2-315 has a stellar classification of M3.5±0.5 V, indicating that it is a M-type main-sequence star (with 14% uncertainty).[11] It has 17.4% the mass of the Sun and 20% its radius.[11] Typical for red dwarfs, it has a luminosity less than 1% of the Sun, which yields an effective temperature of 3,300 K.[11] Unlike most planetary hosts, K2-315 is metal-deficient, with an iron abundance only 57% that of the Sun.[11] It is estimated to be over a billion years old, and has a projected rotational velocity less than 5 km/s.[11]

References

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