Kepler-249: A Cool Dwarf and Its Three Worlds

Kepler-249 is a star located 621 light-years away, and three planets have been found around it. The host is an M2 V star, a small, cool red dwarf. It has an age of 3.09 billion years, a mass of 0.4 solar masses, a radius of 0.38 solar radii, and a temperature of 3630 K. Its reported mass and radius estimates are smaller than the Sun's, and its reported temperature is cooler than the Sun's.

All three planets were discovered by transit in 2014, the method in which a planet crosses in front of its star and causes a small dip in observed brightness. Kepler-249 b is an Earth-like planet with an orbital period of 3.31 days and a radius of 1.09 Earth radii. Kepler-249 c is a Super-Earth with an orbital period of 7.11 days and a radius of 1.51 Earth radii. Kepler-249 d is also a Super-Earth, with an orbital period of 15.4 days and a radius of 1.57 Earth radii. Each planet's reported radius estimate is larger than Earth's.

Among the listed planets, Kepler-249 b has the shortest year by reported estimates, at 3.31 days, while Kepler-249 d has the longest, at 15.4 days. Kepler-249 c has the second-shortest year, at 7.11 days. In radius, Kepler-249 b is the smallest by reported estimates, at 1.09 Earth radii, Kepler-249 c is the second-smallest, at 1.51 Earth radii, and Kepler-249 d is the largest, at 1.57 Earth radii.