K2-72e
Size comparison between K2-72e (left) and the Earth. | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Crossfield et al. |
| Discovery site | Kepler Space Observatory |
| Discovery date | July 18, 2016 |
| Transit | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 0.106 +0.009 −0.013 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.110+0.199 −0.087 |
| 24.159 ±0.004 d | |
| Star | K2-72 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 1.29 +0.14 −0.13 R🜨 | |
| Mass | ~2.21 ME |
| Temperature | 261.15 K (−12.00 °C; 10.40 °F) |
K2-72e (also known by its EPIC designation EPIC 206209135.04), is a confirmed exoplanet, likely rocky, orbiting within the habitable zone of the red dwarf star K2-72, the outermost of four such planets discovered in the system by NASA's Kepler spacecraft on its "Second Light" mission. It is located about 217.1 light-years (66.56 parsecs, or nearly 2.0538×1015 km) away from Earth in the constellation of Aquarius. The exoplanet was found by using the transit method, in which the dimming effect that a planet causes as it crosses in front of its star is measured.