Kepler-737b

Kepler-737b is a super-Earth exoplanet 669 light years away.[1]

Kepler-737b
Discovery
Discovered byHARPS, Kepler space telescope
Discovery dateMay 10, 2016
Transit
Designations
KOI-947.01, KIC 9710326, Gaia DR2 2126820324123177472 b
Orbital characteristics
0.1422 AU
Eccentricitynull
29.5992 days
Inclinationnull
StarKepler-737
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
1.96 REarth
Mass4.5 MEarth
Mean density
3.3 g/cm3
1.1714 earth
Temperature298 K (25 °C; 77 °F)

    Physical properties

    Mass, radius and temperature

    Kepler-737b is an exoplanet with 4.5 MEarth and 1.96 REarth[1] (0.175 RJ.) Its temperature is 298 K (25 °C).

    Star

    The star's designations are Kepler-737, KOI-947, and so on.[2] It is an early M-star. The mass is 0.51 solar masses and its radius is 0.48 times that of the sun.[2] The temperature of the star is 3813 K and its metallicity is -0.24, significantly lower than the sun's.[2] The host star's age is 3.89 billion years, 680 million years younger than the sun.[3]

    Orbit

    It orbits every 28.5992 days.[2] It is well within the inner part of the habitable zone. If it is not a Mini-Neptune, then it might be habitable. It would be hotter than Earth, due to its semimajor axis of 0.1422 AU.[1]

    Discovery

    Kepler-737b is a confirmed exoplanet that was found by Kepler using the transit method.[2] It was discovered on May 10,[2] 2016.[1]

    Nomenclature

    Kepler-737b is also known as KOI-947.01, KIC 9710326, and Gaia DR2 2126820324123177472 b.[2][4] KOI means "Kepler Object of Interest" and KIC means "Kepler Input Catalog". Gaia is a European satellite that was launched on December 19, 2013.[5]

    Habitability
    Main article: Habitability of red dwarf systems

    Kepler-737b is in the habitable zone.[2] However, it is likely tidally locked due to its short orbit; a tidally locked planet would have one side facing the star permanently while the other in constant darkness.[6] This would make one side too hot to live on, while the other too cold. However, there may be a "sweet spot" in between the two, where liquid water can exist. This spot would be the planet's terminator line. Kepler-737b might also have atmospheric circulation that would distribute the heat around the planet, making a large portion of it habitable.[7] Water on Kepler-737b's surface could also distribute heat.[8]

    Kepler-737b's density is similar to that of the moon, so it could either be a rocky world with no iron core, or a water world. The fact that the planet is quite likely to have no magnetic field could spark adaptations to the relatively high radiation level, such as a thick shell of a substance that could repel the radiation or tardigrade-like DNA. In most earthly creatures, DNA is damaged permanently, but with tardigrades, DNA is repairable after being damaged by deadly radiation.[9]

    There is a reduced chance of intelligent life on Kepler-737b due to the fair chance that it is a water world, with no dry land. It is likely hotter than earth, due to its gravity being slightly higher than earth's (17% higher) and its semimajor axis. Another reason why Kepler-737b is likely hotter than earth is its equilibrium temperature of 298 K (25 °C; 77 °F).[10] If ice caps exist, then they would likely be much smaller than earth's, due to the temperature as well as to the possibility that Kepler-737b has more carbon dioxide in its atmosphere than earth.[lower-alpha 1] It would have accreted the carbon dioxide by gravity or because water worlds are likely to have a lot of carbon dioxide in their atmospheres. More carbon dioxide in an atmosphere equalizes the temperature.

    See also

    Notes
    1. Does not include all possible factors.

    References
    1. "Exoplanet-catalog – Exoplanet Exploration: Planets Beyond our Solar System Kepler-737 b".
    2. "Open Exoplanet Catalogue - Kepler-737 b". www.openexoplanetcatalogue.com. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
    3. "The Extrasolar Planet Encyclopaedia — Kepler-737 b". exoplanet.eu. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
    4. "KOI-947.01". Retrieved 2021-05-24.
    5. "Gaia | Description & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
    6. "Tidally locked exoplanets may be more common than previously thought". UW News. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
    7. Hammond, Mark; Lewis, Neil T. (2021-03-30). "The rotational and divergent components of atmospheric circulation on tidally locked planets". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118 (13): e2022705118. arXiv:2102.11760. Bibcode:2021PNAS..11822705H. doi:10.1073/pnas.2022705118. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 8020661. PMID 33753500.
    8. Sutter, Paul (2021-03-08). "Can super-rotating oceans cool off extreme exoplanets?". Space.com. Retrieved 2021-05-18.
    9. "Are tardigrades really aliens? | A World Unseen: the diversity of life". u.osu.edu. Retrieved 2021-05-11.
    10. Guo, Xueying; Ballard, Sarah; Dragomir, Diana; Werner, Michael; Livingston, John; Gorjian, Varoujan (July 2019). "Temperate Super-Earths/Mini-Neptunes around M/K Dwarfs Consist of Two Populations Distinguished by Kepler and Spitzer Transit Depth Variations". The Astrophysical Journal. 880 (1): 64. arXiv:1804.00071. Bibcode:2019ApJ...880...64G. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab24be. ISSN 0004-637X. S2CID 119288494.
    11. "TRAPPIST-1 system planets potentially habitable". phys.org. Retrieved 2021-05-21.
    • KOI-947
    • KOI-947.01
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