An international team of scientists studying potential water worlds has determined that although sub-Neptune exoplanets made up of mostly water are likely rare, Earthlike planets may be much more common than previously thought. Sometimes called water worlds, scientists refer to these planets as Hycean, a combination of “hydrogen” and “ocean.”Because life on Earth requires water, astrobiologists have targeted water worlds as one potential place to look. One unexpected result from the study was that, although water worlds were less likely to exist, the number of Earth-like planets with the potential to support life was more common than previously thought. The study authors also note that future observatories that are more powerful than those currently available will likely be needed to confirm the prevalence of Earthlike planets discovered by their models. The study “Sub-Neptunes Are Drier Than They Seem: Rethinking the Origins of Water-Rich Worlds” was published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.