Aster › Space program › Kepler-10 b
Kepler-10 b
Position on the route: 118/130 · level needed 2000 · journey (Mk0 engine) 411.2 h
By the numbers
| Distance | ≈ 608 light-years |
|---|---|
| Radius | ≈ 1.47 Earths |
| Mass | ≈ 3.3 Earths |
| Year | 20 hours |
The story
Kepler-10 b, confirmed in January 2011, was the first exoplanet proven to be rocky: the mass and radius measurements put its density near Earth’s (5.8 g/cm³). It circles its Sun-like star so closely that a year lasts 20 hours; the day-side temperature is above 1,500 °C and the rock is molten.
A lava world: the surface molten or freshly frozen, with no atmosphere. This Kepler discovery showed for the first time that ‘Earth-sized rocky planets’ could be found.
Missions
- Kepler (NASA, 2009–2018): the discovery
- Keck/HIRES velocity measurements: the mass
Colony note
No life on the surface; an orbital station. A Mk2 shield. A lava world.
☠ The surface is above 1,500 °C and the rock is molten: a landing is lethal. Only a station in orbit.
What probes bring back
- Confirmed in January 2011: the first exoplanet proven to be rocky (radius ≈ 1.47, mass ≈ 3.3 Earths); a year of 20 hours.
- The day side is above 1,500 °C: molten rock, a lava world.