"New Study Boosts Chances of Discovering Water on Exoplanets by 100-Fold"

A new analysis presented at the Goldschmidt geochemistry conference reveals that there may be a significantly higher number of Earth-like exoplanets with liquid water than previously thought, increasing the chances of finding life. The study suggests that even if the surface of a planet is frozen, there are geological conditions under the surface that can support liquid water. Moons like Europa and Enceladus, which have substantial underground liquid water despite frozen surfaces, are considered prime candidates for finding life. The research focused on exoplanets orbiting M-dwarfs, the most common type of stars in our galaxy. The findings indicate that the probability of finding liquid water on exoplanets could be as high as one planet per star, a hundred times more likely than previously estimated.