K2-415 b: A Nearby Earth-Sized World

K2-415 is a small, cool red dwarf of spectral type M5 V, sitting 71.2 light-years away. Its mass is 0.164 solar masses, its radius 0.197 solar radii, and its temperature 3170 K. Each of those solar comparisons places it below the Sun's corresponding value: less massive, smaller, and cooler. One planet is known to orbit this star.

That planet, K2-415 b, was found by the transit method, in which a planet passing in front of its star from our viewpoint causes a small dip in observed brightness; repeated dips help establish orbital periods. K2-415 b orbits every 4.02 days. Its radius is 1.01 Earth radii, a size that is larger than Earth's and, within the planet size classes, Earth-like. Its mass is a reported upper limit of 7.5 Earth masses.