Kepler-1972: A Distant Star With Two Small Worlds

Kepler-1972 is a star located 937 light-years from Earth. It hosts two known planets, both discovered in 2022 by the transit method, in which a planet passing in front of its star from our viewpoint causes a small dip in observed brightness. The star is estimated to be 7.4 billion years old, with a mass of 1.12 solar masses, a radius of 1.38 solar radii, and a temperature of 5820 K. Its reported mass and radius estimates are larger than the Sun's, and its reported temperature is hotter than the Sun's.

Both planets are classified as Sub-Earths, a size class for planets smaller than Earth. Kepler-1972 b has a radius of 0.802 Earth radii, smaller than Earth's, and a mass of 2.02 Earth masses, larger than Earth's. Its mean density is 21.6 g/cm³, 3.92 times Earth's. Kepler-1972 b completes one orbit in 7.54 days, the shortest orbital period among the listed planets.

Kepler-1972 c has a radius of 0.868 Earth radii, also smaller than Earth's, and a mass of 2.11 Earth masses, larger than Earth's. Its mean density is 17.8 g/cm³, 3.23 times Earth's. Kepler-1972 c orbits in 11.3 days, the longest period among the listed planets. It also has the largest radius and largest reported mass of the two, while Kepler-1972 b has the smallest radius and smallest reported mass among the listed planets.