Aster › Space program › Kepler-22 b
Kepler-22 b
Position on the route: 119/130 · level needed 1900 · journey (Mk0 engine) 412.3 h
By the numbers
| Distance | ≈ 638 light-years |
|---|---|
| Radius | ≈ 2.4 Earths |
| Year | 289.9 days |
| Discovered | 2011 |
The story
Kepler-22 b was the first planet confirmed by the Kepler space telescope (December 2011) to lie in the habitable zone of a Sun-like star. Its star is a little cooler and dimmer than the Sun, and the year is 290 days. The radius is 2.4 Earths; the mass could not be measured (at most 36 Earths).
A rocky world, a deep ocean, or a gas-wrapped mini-Neptune? We do not know; but that uncertainty made it ‘the first question mark of habitability among exoplanets’.
Missions
- Kepler (NASA, 2009–2018): the discovery
- Future: JWST and PLATO
Colony note
The surface is unknown: an orbital station only. Sythe territory.
☠ Radius 2.4 Earths: a deep ocean or a gas-wrapped mini-Neptune. A rocky surface is not certain; an orbital station is the safe route.
What probes bring back
- Confirmed by Kepler in 2011: the first planet confirmed in the habitable zone of a Sun-like star. A year is 290 days.
- Radius ≈ 2.4 Earths; the mass is unknown (< 36 Earths). It may be an ocean world or a mini-Neptune.