K2-268 and Its Five Planets

K2-268 is a star located 1070 light-years away, and five planets have been found orbiting it. The star has a reported mass of 0.839 solar masses, a radius of 0.801 solar radii, and a temperature of 5040 K, making it less massive, smaller, and cooler than the Sun.

All five planets were detected by the transit method, in which a planet crosses in front of its star and causes a small dip in brightness; repeated dips reveal the orbital period. The planets are K2-268 b, K2-268 c, K2-268 d, K2-268 e, and K2-268 f.

K2-268 b is a Super-Earth discovered in 2018 with an orbital period of 2.15 days and a radius of 1.5 Earth radii. K2-268 c, also found in 2018, is Neptune-like, orbits every 9.33 days, and has a radius of 2.69 Earth radii. K2-268 d is Earth-like, was discovered in 2021, orbits every 4.53 days, and has a radius of 1.49 Earth radii. K2-268 e, another Earth-like planet found in 2021, orbits every 6.13 days with a radius of 1.33 Earth radii. K2-268 f, a Super-Earth discovered in 2021, has an orbital period of 26.3 days and a radius of 2.23 Earth radii.

Among these planets, K2-268 b has the shortest year and K2-268 f the longest, while K2-268 d has the second-shortest year and K2-268 c the second-longest. K2-268 e has the smallest radius and K2-268 c the largest, with K2-268 d second-smallest and K2-268 f second-largest. Every one of the five planets has a radius larger than Earth's.