Super-Earths more common in the universe than expected, study says

Super-Earths More Common Than Expected

The idea of distant Earth-like planets isn’t just sci-fi. Now, astronomers say they’re more common than we thought.

An international team has revealed that super-Earth exoplanets—rocky worlds larger than Earth—are likely scattered across the universe in great numbers. The findings were published after observations using the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network (KMTNet), a global astronomical survey.

Unseen planets hiding in wider orbits

It’s usually easier to find planets orbiting close to stars. But those further out, like Jupiter in our own system, are trickier. Using microlensing—a method that detects changes in light from a distant star—researchers spotted a planet whose orbit is much wider than normal. This discovery led them to believe that such super-Earths are far more common than assumed.

Andrew Gould, co-author of the study and professor emeritus at The Ohio State University, said the pattern is clear. “Scientists knew there were more small planets than big ones,” he said. “But we now see variations within that pattern.”

One in three stars may host such worlds

By combining their data with other microlensing results from KMTNet, the team estimated that around one in three stars may host a super-Earth with an orbit similar to that of Jupiter.

The findings rely on gravitational microlensing, where a massive object between Earth and a distant star bends light. This temporary light boost allows researchers to detect planets otherwise too distant or faint to spot.

These brightness changes may last from hours to months, depending on the alignment. Though complex to study, this technique is giving scientists new clues about how many planets may be out there.

Gould, whose early work helped shape this method, said the results are exciting. “It suggests these worlds are not rare,” he noted. “They’re likely everywhere, just waiting to be seen.”