astronomy

HD 137010

HD 137010 is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand HD 137010 rather than just read about it. In short: HD 137010 is a K-type main-sequence star located approximately 146 light-years (44.86 parsecs) away in the zodiac constellation of Libra. It is a solar analog, though cooler, dimmer, and smaller than the Sun, with an apparent visual magnitude of 10.14, making it invisible to the naked eye but readily observable with a telescope.

Key takeaways

HD 137010 belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect HD 137010 to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of HD 137010 from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

HD 137010 is a K-type main-sequence star located approximately 146 light-years (44.86 parsecs) away in the zodiac constellation of Libra. It is a solar analog, though cooler, dimmer, and smaller than the Sun, with an apparent visual magnitude of 10.14, making it invisible to the naked eye but readily observable with a telescope. The star is notable for hosting the exoplanet candidate HD 137010 b, a potential Earth-sized exoplanet detected via a single transit in archival data from NASA's Kepler K2 mission.

Characteristics HD 137010 has a spectral type of K3.5 V, indicating that it is a main-sequence star generating energy through the thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen in its core. Its effective temperature is 4,770 ± 90 K, giving the star an orange hue. The star's mass is 0.726 ± 0.017 M☉, its radius is 0.707 ± 0.023 R☉, and its luminosity is 0.232+0.023−0.021 L☉. Its metallicity is slightly subsolar at [Fe/H] = −0.22 ± 0.07 dex. The star's age is estimated between 4.8 and 10 billion years (one analysis gives 7.4 ± 2.6 Gyr), consistent with its low magnetic activity. Its surface gravity is log g = 4.60 ± 0.03 (cgs), and its density is 2.90+0.29−0.26 g/cm³.

Planetary system

HD 137010 was observed by the Kepler space telescope for 88 days during K2 Campaign 15 (23 August to 19 November 2017). Photometry revealed a single, shallow 10-hour transit event with a depth of 225 ± 10 parts per million (ppm) and a duration of 9.76+0.21−0.18 hours. The transit was identified through visual inspection of the light curve. Analysis of the K2 photometry, high-resolution imaging (including new speckle observations), archival radial velocities, and Gaia/Hipparcos astrometry ruled out all conventional false-positive scenarios, such as background eclipsing binaries, hierarchical triples, or instrumental artifacts. The event is best explained by a transiting planet candidate, designated HD 137010 b. The candidate has a radius of 1.06+0.06−0.05 R🜨, consistent with a rocky Super-Earth or Earth analog. Assuming negligible orbital eccentricity, the orbital period is estimated at 355+200−59 days, with a semi-major axis of 0.88+0.32−0.10 AU. The planet receives an incident stellar flux of 0.29+0.11−0.13 times that of Earth, placing it near the outer edge of the habitable zone.

Its equilibrium temperature is approximately 205+17−28 K (for a albedo of 0), potentially as low as 173 K for a higher albedo, this is colder than the average surface temperature of Mars. Models suggest a 40% probability of lying in the conservative habitable zone and 51% in the optimistic habitable zone, a thick CO₂-rich atmosphere could potentially allow liquid water despite the low insolation. As of early 2026, HD 137010 b remains a planet candidate because only one transit has been observed, confirmation requires a second transit or supporting radial-velocity data. The host star's brightness (V = 10.14) makes it an excellent target for future follow-up observations.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with HD 137010

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what HD 137010 claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to HD 137010 before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about HD 137010 ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of HD 137010

In research: HD 137010 appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses HD 137010 in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: HD 137010 is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Henry Draper Catalogue objects, Hipparcos objects, Hypothetical planetary systems, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for HD 137010 outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study HD 137010 in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what HD 137010 means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain HD 137010 out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is HD 137010 in simple terms?

Why does HD 137010 matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study HD 137010?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on HD 137010.