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Kepler-16b

Distance:245 light-years

Kepler-16b is a gas giant exoplanet that orbits two stars, making it a circumbinary planet. This unique planet orbits in a system reminiscent of the fictional world of Tatooine from "Star Wars."

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Overview of Kepler-16b

Kepler-16b is a gas giant exoplanet orbiting two stars (a binary system) located about 245 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus. It is a Saturn-like planet with a similar mass and radius, but it orbits much closer to its stars than Saturn does to the Sun.

Discovery

Kepler-16b was discovered in 2011 by NASA's Kepler Space Telescope. The discovery was groundbreaking because it confirmed the existence of circumbinary planets, worlds that orbit two stars.

Characteristics of Kepler-16b

Mass: ~0.33 Jupiter masses (~104 Earth masses)
Radius: ~0.75 Jupiter radii (~8.4 Earth radii)
Orbital period:229 days
Distance from its star: ~0.7 AU
Surface temperature: Estimated to be around 170 K (-103°C)

Habitability Potential

Kepler-16b is a cold gas giant located outside the habitable zone of its binary star system. Due to its size, composition, and low temperatures, Kepler-16b is not considered habitable. It is more like Saturn in our solar system, with no potential for liquid water or life as we know it.