As part of the KESPRINT collaboration, we present the discovery and characterization of three exoplanets in the sub-Neptune to super-Neptune regime, spanning key regions of the exo-Neptunian landscape.

TOI-1472 c and TOI-1648 b are newly discovered sub-Neptunes, while TOI-1472 b is a previously known super-Neptune for which we provide an improved mass measurement. These planets have orbital periods of 6–15 days and radii of 2.5–4.1 R, probing regions where planet formation and atmospheric evolution remain poorly understood. We combine TESS transit photometry with ground-based radial velocities to determine precise masses, radii, and orbital properties.

TOI-1472 b has a mass of M and a radius of 4.06 ± 0.10 R, TOI-1472 c has a mass of M⊕ and a radius of 3.33 ± 0.08 R, and TOI-1648 b has a mass of M and a radius of R. The planets exhibit a range of eccentricities (0.041–0.178), indicating diverse evolutionary histories. TOI-1648 b, with a high Transmission Spectroscopy Metric (TSM ∼59), is a promising target for atmospheric characterization.

Together, these three planets provide precise constraints on the structure, composition, and dynamical evolution of small to intermediate-sized exoplanets, enriching our understanding of the exo-Neptunian landscape.

Precise Mass And Radius Determination For Two New And One Known Neptune-sized Planets Around G Dwarf Hosts, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (open access)

Astrobiology, Exoplanet,

Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Station Payload manager/space biologist, Away Teams, Journalist, Lapsed climber, Synaesthete, Na’Vi-Jedi-Freman-Buddhist-mix, ASL, Devon Island and Everest Base Camp...