Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Borucki et al. |
Discovery site | Kepler Space Observatory |
Discovery date | 18 April 2013[1] |
Transit (Kepler Mission)[1] | |
Orbital characteristics | |
0.427 ± 0.004[1] AU | |
Eccentricity | ~0[1] |
122.3874 ± 0.0008[1] d | |
Inclination | 89.98 ± 0.032[1] |
Star | Kepler-62 (KOI-701) |
Physical characteristics | |
1.61 ± 0.05[1] R🜨 | |
Mass | 4.5+14.2 −2.6[2] ME |
Temperature | Teq: 270 K (−3 °C; 26 °F) |
Kepler-62e (also known by its Kepler Object of Interest designation KOI-701.03) is a super-Earth exoplanet (extrasolar planet) discovered orbiting within the habitable zone of Kepler-62, the second outermost of five such planets discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft. Kepler-62e is located about 990 light-years (300 parsecs) from Earth in the constellation of Lyra.[3] The exoplanet was found using the transit method, in which the dimming effect that a planet causes as it crosses in front of its star is measured. Kepler-62e may be a terrestrial or ocean-covered planet; it lies in the inner part of its host star's habitable zone.[1][4]
Kepler-62e orbits its host star every 122 days and is roughly 60 percent larger (in diameter) than Earth.[5]