Kepler-1704b is an extrasolar planet (exoplanet) that orbits the Sun‑like star Kepler‑1704 (also catalogued as KIC 7917485). The planet was initially identified as a transit candidate by the Kepler space telescope during its primary mission and was subsequently confirmed through a combination of transit photometry and radial‑velocity measurements.
Host star
- Designation: Kepler‑1704, KIC 7917485
- Spectral type: G‑type main‑sequence star (approximately G2V)
- Mass: ≈ 1.07 M☉ (solar masses)
- Radius: ≈ 1.03 R☉ (solar radii)
- Effective temperature: ≈ 5 900 K
- Distance from the Sun: roughly 1 300 pc (≈ 4 200 ly)
Discovery and confirmation
- Discovery method: Transit detection by Kepler (quarter‑long light‑curve monitoring)
- Confirmation: Follow‑up radial‑velocity observations and statistical validation (published 2021)
- Discovering team: Researchers from the Kepler Exoplanet Science Collaboration and affiliated institutions
Orbital characteristics
- Orbital period: ≈ 837 days (≈ 2.29 years)
- Semi‑major axis: ≈ 1.8 AU (astronomical units)
- Eccentricity: ≈ 0.71, indicating a highly elongated orbit
- Inclination: ≈ 89.5° relative to the line of sight, consistent with the observed transits
Physical properties
- Mass: ≈ 5 M_J (Jupiter masses) – derived from radial‑velocity amplitude
- Radius: ≈ 1.1 R_J (Jupiter radii) – derived from transit depth
- Mean density: roughly 4 g cm⁻³ (computed from mass and radius)
- Equilibrium temperature: variable due to eccentric orbit; estimated to range from ~300 K at apastron to > 900 K near periastron
Significance
Kepler‑1704b belongs to the relatively rare class of “warm Jupiters” that possess both a large mass comparable to Jupiter and a significantly eccentric orbit. Its orbital configuration provides a valuable laboratory for studying planetary migration mechanisms, tidal interactions, and atmospheric dynamics under rapidly changing stellar irradiation.
Research status
The planet’s high eccentricity and long orbital period make it a target for further spectroscopic and photometric monitoring, particularly to examine potential atmospheric changes over its orbit and to refine its mass and orbital parameters. No confirmed additional planets have been detected in the Kepler‑1704 system to date.
All quantitative values are taken from peer‑reviewed literature and the NASA Exoplanet Archive; where uncertainties are not explicitly reported, they are understood to be on the order of a few percent for mass and radius, and ~0.02–0.03 for eccentricity.