K2-2016-BLG-0005L b
K2-2016-BLG-0005L b
confirmed planet • updated: 2023-05-03
K2-2016-BLG-0005L b orbits a small, low-mass star about 5,200 light-years away. It was found in 2023 using the microlensing technique, which relies on gravity bending light — not direct observation.
This page summarizes a catalog entry. If a measurement is missing, it is not shown or guessed. Some values can differ slightly between studies; when that happens, we describe the range rather than picking a favorite without evidence.
Scientific context
Scientific context: This profile layers interpretation on top of archival measurements. Modeled bands appear where direct detections (like spectra or transits) are not listed.
What we can’t claim: surface conditions, biology, or breathable atmosphere without direct spectra.
This planet has a mass about 1.1 times that of Jupiter and orbits its star at roughly 4.16 astronomical units (about the distance from the Sun to Jupiter). The orbital period is estimated at 4,700 days (over 12 years), though this has large uncertainty. Microlensing gives us mass and distance from the star, but not details like size or composition.
Glossary (plain English)
- AU: the average Earth–Sun distance.
- Semi-major axis: the planet’s average distance from its star.
- Eccentricity: how oval the orbit is (0 = circle).
- Radial velocity: finding a planet by measuring a star’s tiny “wobble.”
- m·sin i: a minimum mass estimate; the true mass can be higher if the orbit is tilted.
- Equilibrium temperature: a rough estimate from starlight alone, not a surface reading.
K2-2016-BLG-0005L b was first reported in 2023 using the Microlensing method.
The discovery is linked to observations from K2. Different methods emphasize different strengths: some constrain size, some constrain mass, and some constrain both.
The catalog lists an orbital period of about 4700.00 days, a semi-major axis near 4.160 AU.
Eccentricity is not provided here; many catalogs omit it when the solution is underconstrained.
The archive reports a mass scale of 1.1 MJ.
A rough radius estimate is shown for UI completeness, but it should not be treated as a measurement.
Why “m·sin i” shows up on RV planets
K2-2016-BLG-0005L b orbits K2-2016-BLG-0005L.
The system is about 16960.1 light‑years away.
Several key parameters are not present in this single catalog row. Missing fields don’t mean the science is unknown—only that this particular snapshot doesn’t carry the values.
In this case the most noticeable gaps are: radius, catalog equilibrium temperature, eccentricity. As new observations arrive, archives often refresh these entries (and sometimes revise earlier numbers).
Scientists keep revisiting systems like this because each new instrument pass can tighten uncertainties: better timing improves the orbit, better spectra improves the star, and better follow‑up can confirm or refute competing solutions. Even when a planet is well‑established, refined stellar properties can shift the inferred planet size, temperature, and habitability context.