Kepler-312 and Its Two Known Planets

Kepler-312 is a star located 2600 light-years away, and two planets have been identified as orbiting it. The host star is 1.48 billion years old, with a mass of 1.2 solar masses and a radius of 1.19 solar radii. Its temperature is 6220 K, and its reported mass, radius, and temperature are each larger or hotter than the Sun's.

Both planets were discovered by transit, the 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, the time each planet takes to complete one orbit. Kepler-312 b and Kepler-312 c were both discovered in 2014.

Kepler-312 b is an Earth-like planet with an orbital period of 1.77 days and a radius of 1.29 Earth radii, which is larger than Earth's radius. Kepler-312 c is Neptune-like, with an orbital period of 19.7 days and a radius of 3.15 Earth radii, also larger than Earth's radius. Among the listed planets, Kepler-312 b has the shortest year by reported estimates, while Kepler-312 c has the longest. Kepler-312 b also has the smallest radius by reported estimates, and Kepler-312 c has the largest.