Kepler-418: A Star With Two Jupiter-Like Worlds

Kepler-418 is a star located 3,270 light-years away. It is 4.47 billion years old and contains 1.05 solar masses of material within a radius of 1.09 solar radii. Its temperature is 5920 K, which is hotter than the Sun, and its radius is larger than the Sun's. Two planets are known to orbit this star.

Both planets were detected by the transit method, in which a planet passes in front of its star from our viewpoint, causing a small dip in observed brightness. Kepler-418 b was discovered in 2014, and Kepler-418 c was found in 2021. Both are Jupiter-like, meaning each exceeds 4 times Earth's radius.

Kepler-418 b has a radius of 13.5 Earth radii, the largest among the listed planets. It completes one orbit, or year, in 86.7 days, the longest among these planets, and its mass is a reported upper limit of 349.6112477 Earth masses. Kepler-418 c is smaller, with a radius of 5.22 Earth radii, the smallest of the two, and it orbits much faster, completing a year in 12.2 days, the shortest among the listed planets. No orbital period is available for Kepler-418 c's mass.