Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                                2026 March 14
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             A Year for K2-315b
   Artist's Illustration Credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle, Christine
                                Daniloff, MIT

   Explanation: Want to visit a planet that has 3.14 days in a year? Then
   plan a trip to K2-315b, an earth-sized planet orbiting around a cool,
   red, M dwarf star about once every 3.14 days. [3]The exoplanet's
   discovery, based on publicly available data from the planet-hunting
   [4]Kepler Space Telescope's extended K2 mission, was announced in 2020.
   K2-315b's measured orbital period in days is nearly equal to the
   [5]extremely popular [6]irrational number Pi. That [7]puts the
   exoplanet so close to its parent star that its surface is likely very
   warm, [8]baking-hot in fact. And this Pi planet is over 185 light-years
   away. So instead of trying to arrange for an [9]interstellar vacation
   to K2-315b, there may be easier and more comfortable ways for you to
   celebrate [10]Pi day on planet Earth.

                 Tomorrow's picture: equinox at the pyramid
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    Authors & editors: [22]Robert Nemiroff ([23]MTU) & [24]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([25]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [26]Specific rights apply.
            [27]NASA Web Privacy, [28]Accessibility, [29]Notices;
                A service of: [30]ASD at [31]NASA / [32]GSFC,
                         [33]NASA Science Activation
                           & [34]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2603/MIT-Pi-Planet-01-PRESS.jpg
   3. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020AJ....160..172N/abstract
   4. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/kepler/
   5. https://science.nasa.gov/learning-resources/10-ways-to-celebrate-pi-day-with-nasa-on-march-14/#hds-sidebar-nav-9
   6. https://apod.nasa.gov/htmltest/rjn_dig.html
   7. https://science.nasa.gov/resource/orbits-and-keplers-laws/
   8. https://news.mit.edu/2020/earth-sized-pi-planet-0921
   9. https://science.nasa.gov/exoplanets/immersive/exoplanet-travel-bureau/
  10. https://earthsky.org/human-world/pi-day-nasa-pi-day-challenge/
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260313.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  15. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  16. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  17. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  18. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  20. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260314
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260315.html
  22. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  23. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  24. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  25. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  27. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  28. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  29. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  30. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  31. https://www.nasa.gov/
  32. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  33. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  34. http://www.mtu.edu/