The Catastrophic Reality of Super-Earth Planets

The idea of "super-Earth" exoplanets being more habitable than Earth is a myth, as most of these planets are actually mini-Neptunes or stripped planetary cores with thick atmospheres that make them inhospitable to life. The lack of small exoplanets is due to detection sensitivity, and the two primary methods for finding exoplanets are not optimized for finding Earth-sized or smaller worlds. The majority of exoplanets are Neptune-like, possessing large, volatile gas envelopes, and the prospects for habitability are dim. The rocky super-Earths that do exist are likely hot and close to their stars, making them more like Mercury than Earth.