Astronomy:List of smallest exoplanets

Below is a list of the smallest exoplanets so far discovered, in terms of physical size, ordered by radius.
List
The sizes are listed in units of Earth radii (R⊕). All planets listed are smaller than Earth and Venus, up to 0.7 Earth radii. The NASA Exoplanet Archive is used as the main data source.[1][2] Radii listed in italics are estimates.
| Exoplanet | Radius (R⊕) | Notes and references |
|---|---|---|
| SDSS J0845+2257 b | 0.01-0.013 | Planetesimal, enhanced in iron and silicates. [3] |
| WD 1145+017 b | ~0.03[4] | Disintegrating planetesimal, likely one of several orbiting its star. Likely about one-tenth the mass of Ceres and ~200 km in radius.[4] |
| Ceres | 0.0742 | Shown for comparison |
| Pluto | 0.1863 | Shown for comparison |
| Moon | 0.2725 | Shown for comparison |
| Kepler-37b | 0.3098+0.0059 −0.0076 |
Smallest known exoplanet.[5][6] |
| BD+05 4868 Ab | ~0.314 | Disintegrating planet, radius is just an estimate.[7] |
| PSR B1257+12 b (Draugr) | ~0.338 | Least massive known exoplanet, at 0.02 Earth masses. Radius predicted from mass-radius relationship.[8] |
| Kepler-1520b | ≲0.36 | Disintegrating planets with poorly known radii, all thought to be smaller than Mercury.[9][10] |
| KOI-2700b | ||
| K2-22b | ||
| Mercury | 0.3826 | Shown for comparison |
| Kepler-879c | 0.4±0.1 | [11] |
| Kepler-444b | 0.403+0.016 −0.014 |
[12] |
| Ganymede | 0.413 | Shown for comparison |
| Kepler-158d | 0.43±0.05 | [11] |
| Kepler-102b | 0.460±0.026 | [6] |
| Kepler-444c | 0.497+0.021 −0.017 |
[12] |
| Kepler-1971b (KOI-4777.01) | 0.51±0.03 | [13] |
| Kepler-1489c | 0.51±0.08 | [11] |
| Kepler-1994b | 0.51+0.06 −0.05 |
[14] |
| Kepler-1308b | 0.52+0.06 −0.05 |
|
| Kepler-444d | 0.530+0.022 −0.019 |
[12] |
| Mars | 0.5325 | Shown for comparison |
| Kepler-62c | 0.54±0.03 | |
| Kepler-444e | 0.546+0.017 −0.015 |
[12] |
| Gliese 238 b | 0.566±0.014 | [15] |
| Kepler-102c | 0.567±0.028 | [6] |
| Kepler-42d | 0.57±0.18 | |
| Kepler-1583b | 0.60+0.09 −0.05 |
|
| Kepler-1998b | 0.6+0.08 −0.04 |
[16] |
| Kepler-963c | 0.6±0.2 | [11] |
| Kepler-974c (KOI-1843.03) | 0.61+0.12 −0.08 |
Candidate.[17] As of 2025[update], the Exoplanet Archive lists it as confirmed.[2] |
| Kepler-1087b | 0.61+0.17 −0.05 |
|
| K2-89b | 0.615±0.080 | |
| Kepler-1877b | 0.624 | |
| Barnard's Star e | ~0.637 | Radius predicted from mass-radius relationship.[2] Least massive exoplanet detected by radial velocity and possibly smallest known within 10 parsecs.[18] |
| K2-137b | 0.64±0.10[19] | The discovery paper finds a larger radius of 0.89±0.09 R🜨[20] |
| Kepler-1371c | 0.64+0.07 −0.05 |
|
| Kepler-138b | 0.64±0.02 | [21] |
| Kepler-1130d | 0.645 | |
| Kepler-1351b | 0.65+0.05 −0.04 |
|
| Kepler-1542c | 0.65+0.09 −0.06 |
|
| Kepler-271d | 0.66±0.05 | |
| Kepler-431c | 0.668 | |
| Kepler-1558b | 0.68+0.06 −0.04 |
|
| LHS 1678 b | 0.685+0.037 −0.035 |
[22] |
| K2-116b | 0.69±0.04 | |
| Kepler-141b | 0.69±0.05 | |
| K2-297b (EPIC 201497682 b) | 0.692+0.059 −0.048 |
|
| Proxima Centauri d | ~0.692 | Radius predicted from mass-radius relationship.[2][23] |
| Barnard's Star d | ~0.694 | Radius predicted from mass-radius relationship.[2][18] |
| Gliese 367 b (Tahay) | 0.699±0.024 | Smallest exoplanet within 10 parsecs with a measured radius.[24] |
| Kepler-2003b (KOI-4978.02) | 0.7±0.1 | [11] |
| Kepler-378c | 0.70±0.05 |
Excluded objects
Kepler-37e is listed with a radius of 0.37±0.18 R🜨 in the Exoplanet Archive based on KOI data, but the existence of this planet is doubtful,[25] and assuming its existence, a 2023 study found a mass of 8.1±1.7 M🜨, inconsistent with such a small radius.[26]
KOI-6705.01, listed as a potential very small planet in the KOI dataset, was shown to be a false positive in 2016.[27]
Candidate planets
Below is a list of candidate planets below 0.7 R⊕. These planets have yet to be confirmed.
| Kepler object of interest | Radius (R⊕) | Notes and references |
|---|---|---|
| SDSS J1228+1040 b (SDSS J122859.92+104033.0 b, WD 1226+110 b) |
0.010+0.0504−0.0085[28][29] | |
| TRAPPIST-1i | 0.228+0.025 −0.032[30] |
|
| KOI-4582.01 | 0.35[31] | |
| KOI-2298.03 | 0.36[31] | |
| KOI-2169.04 | 0.37[31] | |
| KOI-7174.01 | 0.37[31] | |
| KOI-8012.01 | 0.42[31] | |
| KOI-6860.01 | 0.43[31] | |
| KOI-2059.02 | 0.44[31] | |
| KOI-304.02 | 0.46[31] | |
| KOI-7793.01 | 0.46[31] | |
| KOI-2678.02 | 0.48[31] | |
| KOI-6631.01 | 0.48[31] | |
| KOI-2421.02 | 0.48[31] | |
| KOI-5974.01 | 0.49[31] | |
| KOI-3444.03 | 0.5[31] | |
| KOI-2295.01 | 0.52[31] | |
| KOI-7863.01 | 0.52[31] | |
| KOI-2612.02 | 0.53[31] | |
| KOI-4657.01 | 0.54[31] | |
| KOI-8257.01 | 0.54[31] | |
| KOI-115.03 (Kepler-105d) | 0.55+0.08 −0.07 |
[32] |
| KOI-2421.01 | 0.55[31] | |
| KOI-4097.02 | 0.55[31] | |
| KOI-7645.01 | 0.55[31] | |
| KOI-3208.01 | 0.56[31] | |
| KOI-6763.01 | 0.56[31] | |
| KOI-2859.03 | 0.57[31] | |
| KOI-4146.02 | 0.57[31] | |
| KOI-2859.04 | 0.57[31] | |
| KOI-7873.01 | 0.57[31] | |
| TOI-4307.02 | 0.57±0.14[33] | |
| KOI-2657.01 | 0.58[31] | |
| KOI-8277.01 | 0.58[31] | |
| KOI-4296.01 | 0.59[31] | |
| KOI-3196.01 | 0.59[31] | |
| KOI-5692.01 | 0.59[31] | |
| KOI-1964.01 | 0.6[31] | |
| KOI-4407.01 | 0.6[31] | |
| KOI-4871.01 | 0.6[31] | |
| KOI-5211.01 | 0.6[31] | |
| KOI-7888.01 | 0.6[31] | |
| KOI-3184.03 | 0.6[31] | |
| KOI-8183.01 | 0.6[31] | |
| KOI-3083.02 | 0.61[31] | |
| KOI-4421.01 | 0.61[31] | |
| KOI-4716.01 | 0.61[31] | |
| KOI-3102.01 | 0.61[31] | |
| KOI-7032.01 | 0.61[31] | |
| KOI-1499.02 | 0.62[31] | |
| KOI-605.02 | 0.62[31] | |
| KOI-7676.01 | 0.62[31] | |
| KOI-4849.01 | 0.62[31] | |
| KOI-365.02 | 0.62[31] | |
| KOI-7116.01 | 0.62[31] | |
| KOI-4421.02 | 0.62[31] | |
| KOI-7949.01 | 0.62[31] | |
| KOI-2029.04 | 0.63[31] | |
| KOI-6889.01 | 0.63[31] | |
| KOI-2636.02 | 0.63[31] | |
| KOI-3248.01 | 0.64[31] | |
| KOI-5213.01 | 0.64[31] | |
| KOI-6276.01 | 0.64[31] | |
| KOI-7617.01 | 0.64[31] | |
| KOI-7903.01 | 0.64[31] | |
| KOI-7925.01 | 0.64[31] | |
| KOI-8174.01 | 0.64[31] | |
| KOI-3083.03 | 0.65[31] | |
| KOI-4875.01 | 0.65[31] | |
| KOI-4808.01 | 0.65[31] | |
| KOI-6568.01 | 0.65[31] | |
| KOI-1619.01 | 0.66[31] | |
| KOI-3111.02 | 0.66[31] | |
| KOI-2859.05 | 0.66[31] | |
| KOI-3017.01 | 0.67[31] | |
| KOI-4907.01 | 0.67[31] | |
| KOI-1616.02 | 0.67[31] | |
| KOI-6299.01 | 0.67[31] | |
| KOI-8211.01 | 0.67[31] | |
| KOI-2593.02 | 0.68[31] | |
| KOI-4605.01 | 0.68[31] | |
| KOI-7832.01 | 0.68[31] | |
| KOI-7483.01 | 0.68[31] | |
| KOI-2623.02 | 0.68[31] | |
| KOI-7924.01 | 0.68[31] | |
| KOI-7628.01 | 0.69[31] | |
| KOI-4129.01 | 0.69[31] | |
| KOI-4822.01 | 0.69[31] | |
| KOI-6600.01 | 0.69[31] |
See also
References
- ↑ Staff (10 July 2017). "Exoplanet Catalog". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia. https://exoplanet.eu/catalog/. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Planetary Systems Composite Data". https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/TblView/nph-tblView?app=ExoTbls&config=PSCompPars. Retrieved 13 March 2025.
- ↑ Wilson, D. J.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Koester, D.; Toloza, O.; Pala, A. F.; Breedt, E.; Parsons, S. G. (2015). "The composition of a disrupted extrasolar planetesimal at SDSS J0845+2257 (Ton 345)". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 451 (3): 3237–3248. doi:10.1093/mnras/stv1201. Bibcode: 2015MNRAS.451.3237W. https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/451/3/3237/1197266?login=false.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Rappaport, S.; Gary, B. L. (June 2016). "Drifting asteroid fragments around WD 1145+017". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 458 (4): 3904–3917. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw612. Bibcode: 2016MNRAS.458.3904R.
- ↑ Simukoff, E. et al. (2013). "Below One Earth Mass: The Detection, Formation, and Properties of Subterrestrial Worlds". Space Science Reviews 180 (1–4): 71. doi:10.1007/s11214-013-0019-1. Bibcode: 2013SSRv..180...71S.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Bonomo, A. S. et al. (September 2023). "Cold Jupiters and improved masses in 38 Kepler and K2 small planet systems from 3661 HARPS-N radial velocities. No excess of cold Jupiters in small planet systems". Astronomy & Astrophysics 677: A33. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202346211. Bibcode: 2023A&A...677A..33B.
- ↑ Hon, Marc; Rappaport, Saul; Shporer, Avi; Vanderburg, Andrew; Collins, Karen A.; Watkins, Cristilyn N.; Schwarz, Richard P.; Barkaoui, Khalid et al. (2025-01-09). "A Disintegrating Rocky Planet with Prominent Comet-like Tails Around a Bright Star". The Astrophysical Journal 984 (1): L3. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/adbf21. Bibcode: 2025ApJ...984L...3H.
- ↑ "Exoplanet-catalog". 22 April 2019. https://exoplanets.nasa.gov/exoplanet-catalog/7134/psr-b125712-b/.
- ↑ Ansdell, M.; Hirano, T.; Gaidos, E. (2019). "Monitoring of the D doublet of neutral sodium during transits of two 'evaporating' planets". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 485 (3): 3876–3886. doi:10.1093/mnras/stz693. Bibcode: 2019MNRAS.485.3876G. "[...]the radii are not known but are thought to be smaller than Mercury (0.36R⊕).".
- ↑ Garai, Z. (2018). "Light-curve analysis of KOI 2700b: The second extrasolar planet with a comet-like tail". Astronomy & Astrophysics 611: A63. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201629676. Bibcode: 2018A&A...611A..63G. "We confirmed the disintegrating-planet scenario of KOI 2700b.".
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 Wang, Kaitlyn et al. (November 2024). "Discovery of small ultra-short-period planets orbiting Kepler KG dwarfs with GPU phase folding and deep learning". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 534 (3): 1913–1927. doi:10.1093/mnras/stae2155. Bibcode: 2024MNRAS.534.1913W.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 Campante, T. et al. (2015). "KOI-3158: The oldest known system of terrestrial-size planets". EPJ Web of Conferences 101: 02004. doi:10.1051/epjconf/201510102004. Bibcode: 2015EPJWC.10102004C.
- ↑ Cañas, Caleb I.; Mahadevan, Suvrath; Cochran, William D.; Bender, Chad F.; Feigelson, Eric D.; Harman, C. E.; Kopparapu, Ravi Kumar; Caceres, Gabriel A. et al. (2022). "A Hot Mars-sized Exoplanet Transiting an M Dwarf". The Astronomical Journal 163 (1): 3. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ac3088. Bibcode: 2022AJ....163....3C.
- ↑ "Kepler-1994". https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/Kepler-1994%20b. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ↑ Tey, Evan et al. (May 2024). "GJ 238 b: A 0.57 Earth Radius Planet Orbiting an M2.5 Dwarf Star at 15.2 pc". The Astronomical Journal 167 (6): 283. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad3df1. Bibcode: 2024AJ....167..283T.
- ↑ "Kepler-1998". https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/Kepler-1998%20b. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ↑ Price, Ellen M.; Rogers, Leslie A. (May 2020). "Tidally Distorted, Iron-enhanced Exoplanets Closely Orbiting Their Stars". The Astrophysical Journal 894 (1): 8. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab7c67. Bibcode: 2020ApJ...894....8P.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Basant, Ritvik et al. (March 2025). "Four Sub-Earth Planets Orbiting Barnard's Star from MAROON-X and ESPRESSO". The Astrophysical Journal Letters 982 (1): L1. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/adb8d5. Bibcode: 2025ApJ...982L...1B.
- ↑ Adams, Elisabeth R. et al. (August 2021). "Ultra-short-period Planets in K2. III. Neighbors are Common with 13 New Multiplanet Systems and 10 Newly Validated Planets in Campaigns 0-8 and 10". The Planetary Science Journal 2 (4): 152. doi:10.3847/PSJ/ac0ea0. Bibcode: 2021PSJ.....2..152A.
- ↑ Smith, A. M. S. et al. (March 2018). "K2-137 b: an Earth-sized planet in a 4.3-h orbit around an M-dwarf". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 474 (4): 5523–5533. doi:10.1093/mnras/stx2891. Bibcode: 2018MNRAS.474.5523S.
- ↑ Piaulet, Caroline et al. (15 December 2022). "Evidence for the volatile-rich composition of a 1.5-Earth-radius planet". Nature Astronomy 7: 206. doi:10.1038/s41550-022-01835-4. Bibcode: 2023NatAs...7..206P.
- ↑ Silverstein, Michele L. et al. (May 2024). "Validation of a Third Planet in the LHS 1678 System". The Astronomical Journal 167 (6): 255. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad3040. Bibcode: 2024AJ....167..255S.
- ↑ Suárez Mascareño, Alejandro et al. (29 July 2025). "Diving into the planetary system of Proxima with NIRPS: Breaking the metre per second barrier in the infrared". Astronomy & Astrophysics 700: A11. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202553728. Bibcode: 2025A&A...700A..11S.
- ↑ Goffo, Elisa et al. (September 2023). "Company for the ultra-high density, ultra-short period sub-Earth GJ 367 b: discovery of two additional low-mass planets at 11.5 and 34 days". The Astrophysical Journal Letters 955 (1): L3. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ace0c7. Bibcode: 2023ApJ...955L...3G.
- ↑ Rajpaul, V. M.; Buchhave, L. A.; Lacedelli, G.; Rice, K.; Mortier, A.; Malavolta, L.; Aigrain, S.; Borsato, L. et al. (2021), "A HARPS-N mass for the elusive Kepler-37d: A case study in disentangling stellar activity and planetary signals", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 507 (2): 1847–1868, doi:10.1093/mnras/stab2192, Bibcode: 2021MNRAS.507.1847R
- ↑ Weiss, Lauren M. et al. (2024-01-01). "The Kepler Giant Planet Search. I. A Decade of Kepler Planet-host Radial Velocities from W. M. Keck Observatory". The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series 270 (1). doi:10.3847/1538-4365/ad0cab. Bibcode: 2024ApJS..270....8W.
- ↑ Gaidos, Eric; Mann, Andrew W.; Ansdell, Megan (January 2016). "The Enigmatic and Ephemeral M Dwarf System KOI 6705: Cheshire Cat or Wild Goose?". The Astrophysical Journal 817 (1): 50. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/817/1/50. Bibcode: 2016ApJ...817...50G.
- ↑ Manser, Christopher J. (5 April 2019). "A planetesimal orbiting within the debris disc around a white dwarf star". Science 364 (6435): 66–69. doi:10.1126/science.aat5330. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 30948547. Bibcode: 2019Sci...364...66M. https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aat5330.
- ↑ "Planet SDSS J1228+1040 b". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia. https://exoplanet.eu/catalog/sdss_j1228_1040_b--7079/. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
- ↑ "First JWST thermal phase curves of temperate terrestrial exoplanets reveal no thick atmosphere around TRAPPIST-1 b and c". 2 September 2025. arXiv:2509.02128 [astro-ph.EP].
- ↑ 31.00 31.01 31.02 31.03 31.04 31.05 31.06 31.07 31.08 31.09 31.10 31.11 31.12 31.13 31.14 31.15 31.16 31.17 31.18 31.19 31.20 31.21 31.22 31.23 31.24 31.25 31.26 31.27 31.28 31.29 31.30 31.31 31.32 31.33 31.34 31.35 31.36 31.37 31.38 31.39 31.40 31.41 31.42 31.43 31.44 31.45 31.46 31.47 31.48 31.49 31.50 31.51 31.52 31.53 31.54 31.55 31.56 31.57 31.58 31.59 31.60 31.61 31.62 31.63 31.64 31.65 31.66 31.67 31.68 31.69 31.70 31.71 31.72 31.73 31.74 31.75 31.76 31.77 31.78 31.79 31.80 31.81 31.82 31.83 31.84 "NASA Exoplanet Archive". https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/TblView/nph-tblView?app=ExoTbls&config=cumulative. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
- ↑ "Kepler-105". https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/overview/KOI-115. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
- ↑ "NASA Exoplanet Archive". https://exoplanetarchive.ipac.caltech.edu/cgi-bin/TblView/nph-tblView?app=ExoTbls&config=TOI. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
