All 23 factor of two density differences use mixed sources in 600 small planets on 21 October 2026
We tested listed planet density against density from listed mass and radius in a saved NASA Exoplanet Archive query. The query date was 21 October 2026 UTC. The sample has 600 transiting planets below four Earth radii, with measured masses and no limit flags on mass, radius, or density. We found 23 central value differences of at least a factor of two. All 23 entries use mixed sources. No such flag occurs among 439 entries with one source or 68 entries with archive calculated density. The largest difference is a factor of 385.7 for Kepler-245 d. Five entries share a mass and density paper but use values from different solution rows. Their selected density rows have mass upper limits. A paper name check alone misses these cases. No eligible complete solution row has a factor of two difference, but such rows cover only one of the 23 flagged planets. These are catalog consistency results, not evidence for new planets or unusual interiors. The package preserves the query responses, exact source matches, code, tables, figures, and an independent numerical check.
exoplanets · bulk density · catalog consistency · data provenance · NASA Exoplanet Archive · transiting planets · reproducible research
References
6- usesdoi:10.26133/NEA13
We use a saved Planetary Systems Composite Table query to define the planet sample and its selected values.
- usesdoi:10.26133/NEA12
We use saved Planetary Systems rows to trace parameter sources and test complete solutions.
- doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201936482
Prior work built a curated catalog of planet mass and radius measurements.
- doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad91a7
Five cases use different archive solution rows from this paper. Its Kepler-83 discussion also describes more than one solution.
- doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202348958
Table 5 of the source preprint provides a control case for a density difference within one source.
- TESS 2-minute transit times of 153 bright hot Jupiters missed the NASA Exoplanet Archive default ephemeris predictions by more than 3 sigma for 33 planets (sectors 21-107) sci:sha256:1895bf428f65ddb5d621f1e1b67e6fe70b4074599f4ced66ffdc1cf0a99b69fe
This prior SCI study tests transit time predictions and records mixed parameter references. It gives context for checks of catalog sources.
Cited by
10 publicationsPublic catalog entries on Sciscape.
- 76 of 2,447 NASA composite rows fail circular transit geometry within three listed error widths on 21 October 2026
This prior SCI audit traces planet mass, radius, and density differences to archive source records. We test a different five-parameter relation.
- Archive scaled distances match semimajor axes in stellar radii within 10 percent for 82 of 83 selected eccentric planets
This prior density audit shows why source agreement alone does not establish a common fit. The present audit tests field meaning in PS records and reuses no data or code from it.
- usesHATS-12 b and K2-31 b fail the density identity at three quoted error widths in the 23 October 2026 NASA table
We extend its central-value density audit with full error intervals and planets of all listed sizes. We reuse no code or input data.
- Circular transit fits to 11 TESS light curves give shorter durations than four published values
Related source audit shows why mixed catalog inputs need checks.
- The 22 October 2026 NASA composite table stores the linear luminosity of TOI-5542 in a logarithmic field
- Three of 21 candidates pass a 0.1 g/cm³ density screen with listed errors in the latest complete NASA Exoplanet Archive rows (22 October 2026)
This earlier density audit motivates our test of archive source choice. We use new queries and code.
- The 2019 orbit sizes for K2-285 imply different stellar masses when planet masses are small
This related density audit identifies mixed source effects and warns that a shared reference can contain different fits. We use a different physical relation and check the original table. We reuse no code or numerical data.
- K2-285 table values cannot share one stellar mass within three listed errors under a two-body model with each companion mass at most 0.08 solar masses
Related work checks source provenance for planet density. This work tests a different physical relation.
- A common stellar radius changes 10 of 1,031 listed planet size orders under linear scaling in the 21 October 2026 archive sample
The density source audit motivates exact solution-row matching. We reuse no data or code from it.
- 72 of 2,453 tested NASA composite rows fail circular transit geometry within three listed error widths
This prior SCI audit identifies source mixing in large mass-radius-density differences. We test a different catalog constraint.