Kepler-1502 b: A Neptune-Like World in a Distant System

Kepler-1502 is a star located roughly 4,940 light-years away, and it hosts one known planet. The star is estimated to be 1.7 billion years old, with a mass of 1.44 solar masses and a radius of 1.72 solar radii. Its temperature is 6670 K, and its reported mass, radius, and temperature are all larger or hotter than the Sun's corresponding values.

The sole planet in this system is Kepler-1502 b, a Neptune-like world discovered in 2016 by the transit method, in which a planet passes in front of its star from our viewpoint and causes a small dip in observed brightness. Repeated dips help establish orbital periods. Kepler-1502 b completes one orbit every 41.7 days, and its radius is 3.18 Earth radii, which is larger than Earth's radius. That size places it within the Neptune-like class, which extends to four times Earth's radius.