Kepler-438b
Kepler-438b (also known by its Kepler Object of Interest designation KOI-3284.01) is a confirmed near-Earth-sized exoplanet. It is likely rocky. It orbits on the inner edge of the habitable zone of a red dwarf, Kepler-438, about 472.9 light-years (141,8 parsecs) from Earth in the constellation Lyra. It receives 1.4 times our solar flux. The planet was discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft using the transit method, in which the dimming effect that a planet causes as it crosses in front of its star is measured. NASA announced the confirmation of the exoplanet on 6 January 2015.
Approximate size comparison of Kepler-438b (right) with Earth | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Kepler spacecraft |
| Discovery date | 2015 |
Detection method | Transit |
| Orbital characteristics | |
Semi-major axis | 0.16600 AU (24,833,000 km) |
| Eccentricity | 0.03+0.01 −0.03 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 35.23319 d |
| Inclination | 89.860 |
| Star | Kepler-438 |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean radius | 1.12 (± 0.16) R🜨 |
| Temperature | 276 K (3 °C; 37 °F) |
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