BD+20594b

BD+20594b is an exoplanet discovered by the Kepler spacecraft in collaboration with the HARPS spectrometer at La Silla in Chile.

BD+20594b is substantially smaller than Neptune with a radius of 2.2 R_e and a mass of 16.31 M_e. Taking the estimates on its radius and mass at face value, the composition of the planet would be rocky, hence making it classified as a Mega-Earth. BD+20594b's exact composition is still unknown.

The planet was first discovered on January 28, 2016 by astrophysicist Néstor Espinoza and his team from the Catholic University of Chile, using data from the two-wheeled Kepler mission (K2). It orbits a K-type star 496.08 light years away in the constellation Taurus.

It is believed that most planets with a radius greater than 1.6 times the Earth are not usually rocky, making BD+20594b an exception to this rule along with Kepler-10c and K2-3d.

See also

• Mega-Earth

References

• Largest Rocky World Found - Universe Today