Kepler-1649 c

Kepler-1649 c is a rocky world just slightly larger than Earth—1.06 Earth radii with a mass of 1.2 Earths—orbiting a dim red dwarf star 301 light-years away. Its equilibrium temperature of 234 Kelvin puts it colder than Earth's current average, roughly comparable to Antarctica's interior, though the planet's actual surface temperature depends heavily on atmospheric composition, which remains unknown. Orbiting every 19.5 days at just 0.0649 astronomical units from its host star, Kepler-1649 c likely experiences tidal locking, meaning one hemisphere perpetually faces the star while the other freezes in darkness—a configuration that complicates habitability despite the planet's otherwise Earth-like size and density. The planet's habitability score of 88 out of 100 reflects its promising physical parameters, yet the combination of extreme cold, potential tidal locking, and our complete ignorance of any atmosphere makes a definitive habitability verdict impossible from current data alone. Kepler-1649 c stands out as a rare example of a small, rocky exoplanet around a dim star caught by the transit method, making it a prime target for future atmospheric characterization that could reveal whether liquid water—and life—might actually persist there.