astronomy

K2-296b

K2-296b 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 K2-296b rather than just read about it. In short: K2-296b (more commonly referred to as EPIC 201238110 b) is a potentially habitable planet discovered by Heller et al. in 2019, orbiting the M-dwarf star EPIC 201238110. Habitability K2-296b's orbit, which has a semi-major axis of 0.135 AU (20,200,000 km), is located in the habitable zone of the planetary system, meaning liquid water could exist on its surface.

Key takeaways

K2-296b belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect K2-296b to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of K2-296b from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

K2-296b (more commonly referred to as EPIC 201238110 b) is a potentially habitable planet discovered by Heller et al. in 2019, orbiting the M-dwarf star EPIC 201238110.

Habitability K2-296b's orbit, which has a semi-major axis of 0.135 AU (20,200,000 km), is located in the habitable zone of the planetary system, meaning liquid water could exist on its surface. Its equilibrium temperature is estimated at 277 K (4 °C; 39 °F). The planet is likely tidally locked to its parent star. The Habitable Worlds Catalog, issued by the Planetary Habitability Laboratory, classes the planet as a warm superterran, near the inner edge of the optimistic habitable zone.

Host star The host star, EPIC 201238110, is a red dwarf with a mass of 0.41 M☉ and a radius of 0.37 R☉. It has a surface temperature of 3588 K or 3772 K, and a luminosity of 0.0254 L☉. There is another transiting candidate planet in the system called EPIC 201238110 c, which, if confirmed, would be a hot (427 K) mini-Neptune with a radius of 2.76 R🜨 and a mass of 8.0 M🜨, revolving around the star once every 7.9 days at a distance of 0.058 AU (8,700,000 km).

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with K2-296b

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what K2-296b 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 K2-296b 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 K2-296b 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 K2-296b

In research: K2-296b 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 K2-296b 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: K2-296b is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astrobiology stubs, Exoplanet stubs, Exoplanets discovered by K2, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for K2-296b 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 K2-296b in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what K2-296b 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 K2-296b out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is K2-296b in simple terms?

K2-296b (more commonly referred to as EPIC 201238110 b) is a potentially habitable planet discovered by Heller et al. in 2019, orbiting the M-dwarf star EPIC 201238110. Habitability K2-296b's orbit, which has a semi-major axis of 0.135 AU (20,200,000 km), is located in the habitable zone of the pla…

Why does K2-296b 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 K2-296b?

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 K2-296b.