The star
The star
TOI-1266
- Type
- M2
- Surface
- ≈ 3,563 K
- Size
- 0.42 × the Sun
- Mass
- 0.44 × the Sun
- Brightness
- 0.0263 × the Sun
- Habitable zone
- 0.133–0.343 AU
The planets
TOI-1266
TOI-1266 b
- Year
- 10.89 days
- Distance from star
- 0.073 AU
- Mass
- 4.5 Earths
- Size
- 2.5 × Earth
- Temperature
- ≈ 415 K (+142 °C)
- Found
- 2020, transit (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS))
TOI-1266
TOI-1266 c
- Year
- 18.80 days
- Distance from star
- 0.105 AU
- Mass
- 3.2 Earths
- Size
- 2 × Earth
- Temperature
- ≈ 346 K (+73 °C)
- Found
- 2020, transit (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS))
TOI-1266
TOI-1266 d
- Year
- 32.51 days
- Distance from star
- 0.151 AU
- Mass
- 3.7 Earths
- Size
- 1.7 × Earth
- Temperature
- ≈ 288 K (+15 °C)
- Found
- 2025, transit timing variations (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS))
Masses found by the wobble method are minimums, because the orbit's tilt is unknown. Temperatures are equilibrium estimates for a bare planet, before any atmosphere.
How we know
The shadow
The planet passes in front of its star and dims it by a fraction of a percent, every orbit. The dip gives the planet's size and year.
Early and late
A known planet arrives early or late for its transits, betraying the pull of another, unseen planet.
Sources
- Planet and star parameters: NASA Exoplanet Archive, Planetary Systems Composite Parameters, retrieved 1 Nov 2026. This research has made use of the NASA Exoplanet Archive, which is operated by the California Institute of Technology, under contract with NASA under the Exoplanet Exploration Program.
- Position: HYG Database v4.1 (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Habitable zone: a simple estimate from the star's brightness (√L × 0.95 to 1.67 AU), shown as a guide.