| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Kepler spacecraft |
| Discovery date | 2014 |
| Transit | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| 0.118 AU | |
| Eccentricity | <0.33 |
| 19.9 d | |
| Star | Kepler-296 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 2.09 Earth radii | |
| Mass | 5.02 Earth masses |
Kepler-296d is an exoplanet orbiting the M-dwarf star Kepler-296, [1] [2] [3] located in the constellation Draco. [4] It was discovered in 2014 by the Kepler space telescope using the transit method. [1] [5]
Kepler-296d has a radius approximately 2.09 times [1] that of Earth and a mass estimated at 5.02 [1] [4] Earth masses, placing it in the category of Neptune-like exoplanets. The planet orbits its host star every 19.9 days at a distance of approximately 0.118 AU. [1] [5] Its orbit has an eccentricity of less than 0.33. [5]
The host star, Kepler-296, is an M-type dwarf. [2] These stars are cooler and smaller than the Sun, and often host multiple exoplanets. Kepler-296 is known to host at least five planets. [1] [3]
Kepler-296d was identified in 2014 [1] as part of the data collected by NASA's Kepler space telescope, which monitored the brightness of over 150,000 stars [6] to detect periodic dips in light indicative of planetary transits. The detection of Kepler-296d was achieved through the transit method, [1] [5] wherein a planet passes between its host star and the observer, causing a measurable decrease in the star’s apparent brightness.