Observations of the planet have suggested that it is a hydrogen–helium gas giant that is slightly smaller than Saturn, and that it orbits nearby its star at .225 AU.

As with most exoplanets, the name "Kepler-9c" denotes that it is the second planet discovered in the orbit of the star Kepler-9.

Kepler-9 itself was named after the Kepler Mission, a NASA project oriented towards discovering planets that are transiting their home stars.

It was highlighted as a part of one of five star systems that seemed to hold multiple transiting planets.

[2] Initial estimates concerning Kepler-9c's mass were refined by follow-up observations made by the Keck 1 Telescope at the W.M.

The planet orbits on the same plane as Kepler-9b, a second and larger gas giant located in the Kepler-9 system.