Where is Kepler 10c?

Kepler-10c: Journey to a Distant “Mega-Earth”

Ever heard of a “mega-Earth”? Well, buckle up, because we’re taking a trip – virtually, of course – to a fascinating exoplanet called Kepler-10c. This world, orbiting a star a good 608 light-years away, has really thrown a wrench into what we thought we knew about how planets form.

Finding Kepler-10c: A Cosmic Address

So, where exactly do you find this “mega-Earth”? Imagine looking up at the constellation Draco, the Dragon. That’s our general neighborhood. To get really specific, Kepler-10, and therefore Kepler-10c, sits at Right Ascension: 19h 02m 43.06139s and Declination: +50° 14′ 28.7016″. Now, you won’t spot it with your naked eye; you’d need a decent telescope, something in the 4.5 to 6-inch range, to even glimpse Kepler-10 itself. But knowing its coordinates? That’s the key to unlocking its secrets.

The Kepler-10 System: A Star from Way Back When

Kepler-10, the star that Kepler-10c calls home, is a G-type star, kind of like our own Sun, but a bit smaller and cooler. What’s really mind-blowing? It’s ancient! We’re talking nearly 12 billion years old, more than twice the age of our Sun. Think of it as peering into the deep past of the universe. The Kepler-10 system is home to at least three planets: Kepler-10b, Kepler-10c, and Kepler-10d.

Kepler-10c: Not Your Average Planet

Back in May 2011, NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope spotted Kepler-10c. This exoplanet zips around Kepler-10 every 45.3 days, much closer than Mercury is to our Sun.

Initially, scientists thought Kepler-10c was a “mega-Earth” because it’s huge – about 2.35 times the size of our own planet. The assumption was that it was mostly rock. But hold on! In 2017, some clever researchers dug a little deeper, using data from HARPS and HIRES, and discovered something surprising. Kepler-10c is likely a volatile-rich planet with a mass of around 7.3 Earth masses.

Rewriting the Rules of Planet Formation

Here’s where things get really interesting. The sheer existence of Kepler-10c, especially the idea of a rocky planet that size, didn’t quite fit with our existing models of how planets come to be. Plus, the fact that this system is so old suggested that rocky planets could have formed much earlier in the universe than we ever imagined. It’s like finding out that the ingredients for a cake were available long before we thought anyone even invented ovens!

Even though our understanding of Kepler-10c has shifted over time, it’s still a super important piece of the puzzle as we try to figure out what other kinds of planets are out there and whether life might exist beyond our little corner of the cosmos. Who knows what other surprises are lurking in the depths of space?