Kepler-10c

Kepler-10c
Size comparison of Kepler-10c with Earth and Neptune
Discovery[1]
Discovery dateAnnounced May 23, 2011[2]
Transit (Kepler Mission)[2]
Orbital characteristics
0.2407+0.0044
−0.0053
[3] AU
45.29485+0.00065
−0.00076
[3] d
Inclination89.65+0.09
−0.12
[3]
StarKepler-10[4]
Physical characteristics
2.35+0.09
−0.04
[5] R🜨
Mass7.37 +1.32
−1.19
[6] ME
Mean density
3.14 +0.63
−0.55
[6] g cm−3
TemperatureTeq: 584 +54
−17
[5] K

Kepler-10c is an exoplanet orbiting the G-type star[1] Kepler-10, located around 608 light-years away in Draco. Its discovery was announced by the Kepler space telescope team in May 2011, although it had been seen as a planetary candidate since January 2011, when Kepler-10b was discovered. The team confirmed the observation using data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and a technique called BLENDER that ruled out most false positives. Kepler-10c was the third transiting planet to be confirmed statistically (based on probability rather than actual observation), after Kepler-9d and Kepler-11g. The Kepler team considers the statistical method that led to the discovery of Kepler-10c as what will be necessary to confirm many planets in Kepler's field of view.[1]

Kepler-10c orbits its host star every forty-five days at a quarter of the average distance between the Sun and Earth. Initial observations showed that it has a radius more than double that of Earth, and suggested a higher density, suggesting a mainly rocky composition with around 5–20% ices by mass.[5][1][7] For comparison, the Earth's oceans represent only 0.02% of our planet's mass,[8] with an additional amount potentially a few times this stored in the mantle.[9] However, in 2017, more careful analysis using both HARPS and HIRES data revealed that Kepler-10c is not a large terrestrial planet, but instead a typical volatile-rich planet of about seven Earth masses.[10][6]

  1. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference Fressin2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference NASA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference EPE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference datatable was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference harps was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c Rajpaul, V. (July 2017), "Pinning down the mass of Kepler-10c: the importance of sampling and model comparison", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 471 (1): L25–L130, arXiv:1707.06192, Bibcode:2017MNRAS.471L.125R, doi:10.1093/mnrasl/slx116.
  7. ^ Clavin, Whitney (June 2, 2014). "Astronomers Confounded By Massive Rocky World". NASA. Retrieved June 3, 2014.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference universetoday was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference northwestern was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Santos, Leonardo dos (2017-08-07). "The mass of Kepler-10c revisited: Upping the radial velocities game". Astrobites.