TOI-776: A Nearby Red Dwarf with Two Super-Earths

TOI-776 is an M1 V star, an M-type main-sequence dwarf, located 88.6 light-years from Earth. Its mass is 0.544 solar masses and its radius is 0.538 solar radii, both smaller than the Sun's reported values. With a temperature of 3710 K, it is cooler than the Sun. The star is 7.8 billion years old. Two planets orbit this host: TOI-776 b and TOI-776 c.

Both planets were discovered by the transit method in 2020, in which a planet passes in front of its star from our viewpoint and causes a small dip in observed brightness. Both are classified as Super-Earths, meaning their radii fall between 1.5 and 2.5 times Earth's radius. Both planets have radii larger than Earth's and masses larger than Earth's.

TOI-776 b has a radius of 1.8 Earth radii, a mass of 5 Earth masses, and an orbital period of 8.25 days. Its mean density is 4.74 g/cm³, 0.86 times Earth's. Among the listed planets, TOI-776 b has the shortest year, the smallest radius, and the smallest reported mass.

TOI-776 c has a radius of 2.05 Earth radii, a mass of 6.9 Earth masses, and an orbital period of 15.7 days. Its mean density is 4.43 g/cm³, 0.804 times Earth's. Among the listed planets, TOI-776 c has the longest year, the largest radius, and the largest reported mass.