A Year for K2-315b
Artist's Illustration Credit:
NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle, Christine Daniloff, MIT
Want to visit a planet that has 3.14 days in a year?
Then plan a trip to K2-315b, an earth-sized planet orbiting around
a cool, red, M dwarf star about once every 3.14 days.
The exoplanet's discovery,
based on publicly available data
from the planet-hunting
Kepler Space Telescope's
extended K2 mission, was announced in 2020.
K2-315b's measured orbital period in days is nearly equal to the
extremely
popular irrational
number Pi.
That
puts
the exoplanet so close to its parent star that its
surface is likely very warm,
baking-hot in fact.
And this Pi planet is over 185 light-years away.
So instead of trying to arrange for an
interstellar vacation
to K2-315b, there may be easier and more comfortable ways for you to celebrate
Pi day on planet Earth.