K2-348: A Cool Star With Two Neptune-Like Worlds

K2-348 is a star 658 light-years away with two known planets. Its reported mass is 0.83 solar masses and its radius is 0.85 solar radii, both smaller than the Sun's. With a temperature of 5080 K, K2-348 is also cooler than the Sun. Both planets were discovered by transit, the slight dimming caused when a planet crosses in front of its star from our viewpoint, in 2021.

The two planets are K2-348 b and K2-348 c, both Neptune-like, a size class that extends to four times Earth's radius. K2-348 b has a radius of 3.26 Earth radii and an orbital period of 4.69 days, making it the shortest-period planet among the listed worlds. Its radius is larger than Earth's and the largest among the listed planets. K2-348 c has a radius of 2.67 Earth radii and an orbital period of 12.6 days, the longest among the listed planets. Its radius is larger than Earth's but the smallest among the listed planets.