EPIC 249893012: A Distant Sun-Like Star and Its Three Worlds

EPIC 249893012 is a G8 IV/V star located 1050 light-years away. It is 9 billion years old, has a mass of 1.05 solar masses, a radius of 1.71 solar radii, and a temperature of 5430 K. Its reported radius estimate is larger than the Sun's, while its reported temperature is cooler than the Sun's. Three planets are known to orbit this host, all discovered in 2020 by the transit method, which detects the small dip in a star's brightness when a planet passes in front of it from our viewpoint.

EPIC 249893012 b is classified as a Super-Earth, a size class reaching 2.5 times Earth's radius. It has a mass of 8.75 Earth masses, a radius of 1.95 Earth radii, and an orbital period of 3.6 days, the shortest year among the listed planets. Its reported radius and mass estimates are each larger than Earth's, and its mean density is 6.5 g/cm³, 1.18 times Earth's. Among the listed planets, b has the smallest radius and the smallest reported mass.

EPIC 249893012 c is a Neptune-like planet, a class reaching 4 times Earth's radius. It has a mass of 14.7 Earth masses, a radius of 3.67 Earth radii, and an orbital period of 15.6 days, the second-shortest year among the listed planets. Its reported radius and mass estimates are each larger than Earth's, and its mean density is 1.64 g/cm³, 0.297 times Earth's. Among the listed planets, c has the largest reported mass and the second-smallest radius.

EPIC 249893012 d is also Neptune-like. It has a mass of 10.2 Earth masses, a radius of 3.94 Earth radii, and an orbital period of 35.7 days, the longest year among the listed planets. Its reported radius and mass estimates are each larger than Earth's, and its mean density is 0.917 g/cm³, 0.166 times Earth's. Among the listed planets, d has the largest radius and the second-smallest reported mass.