Kepler-1551 b: A Neptune-Like World in a Distant System

Kepler-1551 is a single star located 4770 light-years away. It is estimated to be 2.88 billion years old, with a reported mass estimate larger than the Sun's at 1.14 solar masses and a reported radius estimate also larger than the Sun's at 1.22 solar radii. Its reported temperature is hotter than the Sun's, at 6140 K. One planet is known to orbit this host.

That planet, Kepler-1551 b, is a Neptune-like world discovered by the transit method in 2016. A transit occurs when a planet passes in front of its star from our viewpoint, causing a small dip in observed brightness, and repeated dips help establish orbital periods. Kepler-1551 b completes one orbit every 24.5 days, and its reported radius estimate is larger than Earth's at 2.66 Earth radii. That radius places it near the upper end of the Neptune-like class, where planets reach up to four times Earth's radius.