Kepler-419b
A highly eccentric hot Jupiter orbiting an F-type star.
Kepler-419b is a hot Jupiter exoplanet orbiting the star Kepler-419, located about 3,400 light-years from Earth in the constellation Cygnus. It is the outermost of two planets discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft in that system.
Quick Facts
- Discoverer
- Kepler spacecraft
- Discovered
- 2012 (dubious) / 12 June 2014 (confirmed)
- Discovery Method
- Transit method
- Apsis
- astron
- Semimajor
- 0.37 (± 0.007) AU
- Eccentricity
- 0.833 (± 0.013)
- Period
- 69.7546 (± 0.0007) d
- Inclination
- 88.95 · 0.14 · 0.17
- Star
- Kepler-419 (KOI-1474)
- Single Temperature
- 505 K
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Kepler-419b was discovered by NASA's Kepler spacecraft, which observed transits of the planet across its host star. The preliminary light curves were analyzed by the Kepler science team, and follow-up observations took place between 13 May 2009 and 17 March 2012. The planet was announced after these observations confirmed its transits.
The planet has a mass of 2.5 Jupiter masses and a radius of 0.96 Jupiter radii, giving it a density similar to Jupiter. Its surface temperature is 505 K, making it a hot Jupiter. It orbits its host star at a distance of 0.37 AU, close to Mercury's orbital distance from the Sun, but with a highly eccentric orbit (eccentricity 0.833). Its orbital period is about 67 days.
The host star Kepler-419 is an F-type star with a mass of 1.39 solar masses, a radius of 1.75 solar radii, and a surface temperature of 6430 K. It is 2.8 billion years old and has an apparent magnitude of 13, too dim to be seen with the naked eye.
Reader's Guide
Kepler-419b is notable for its highly eccentric orbit (eccentricity 0.833), which is unusual for a hot Jupiter. Most hot Jupiters have nearly circular orbits, but Kepler-419b's orbit is extremely elongated, causing it to vary significantly in distance from its star during each 67-day orbit. This eccentricity suggests that the planet may have undergone gravitational interactions with other bodies in the system, possibly including the inner planet Kepler-419c. The planet's discovery by the Kepler spacecraft contributed to the growing catalog of exoplanets with diverse orbital characteristics, challenging models of planetary formation and migration. Its location about 3,400 light-years away in Cygnus places it among the more distant exoplanets discovered by Kepler. The system's two planets provide a case study for understanding how multiple planets can coexist in a system with such a high eccentricity.
Did You Know?
- Kepler-419b has an orbital eccentricity of 0.833, one of the highest known for a hot Jupiter.
- It orbits its star at 0.37 AU, similar to Mercury's distance from the Sun.
- The host star Kepler-419 is 2.8 billion years old, younger than the Sun.
- Kepler-419b was discovered from transits observed between May 2009 and March 2012.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Kepler-419b?
Kepler-419b is a hot Jupiter-class exoplanet that circles the star Kepler-419, roughly 3,400 light-years away in the Cygnus constellation. NASA's Kepler space telescope identified it as the outer of two planets in that system.
What makes Kepler-419b's orbit unusual?
Its eccentricity of 0.833 means the planet traces a dramatically stretched ellipse instead of a near-circular path. Over its 67-day year it swings from very close to its host star out to a much greater distance, making it one of the most eccentric hot Jupiters catalogued.
How does Kepler-419b compare in size and mass to Jupiter?
The planet's radius is about 0.96 Jupiter radii, so it is slightly smaller than Jupiter, yet it carries roughly 2.5 times Jupiter's mass. Packing that extra mass into a marginally smaller volume makes it a comparatively dense gas giant.
What kind of star does Kepler-419b orbit, and how hot is the planet?
Its host, Kepler-419, is an F-type star, somewhat hotter and more massive than our Sun. The planet's equilibrium temperature sits near 505 K, warm enough to qualify as a hot Jupiter despite its 67-day orbital period.
Why do astronomers find Kepler-419b interesting?
Its extreme eccentricity is hard to reconcile with simple disk-migration scenarios, since a gas giant this massive would not be expected to settle into such an elongated orbit so close to its star. Studying it gives researchers clues about the chaotic dynamical histories that shape hot-Jupiter systems.
More in Transiting Exoplanets, Part 4 1-24
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