One of the most fundamental reasons life exists on Earth is the abundance of liquid water on its surface.
Evidence suggests that life probably began on Earth in the ocean at least 3.5 billion years ago.
So when it comes to searching for alien life beyond our planet, water worlds are expected to be the best shot.
Within the last three decades, astronomers have confirmed the existence of more than 5000 exoplanets.
And recently, a super-Earth that possibly harbors a global liquid ocean has been added to that list.
So how did astronomers discover this distant exoplanet?
How do they know it harbors a planet-wide ocean of liquid water?
Finally, and most importantly, what are the chances that life exists on this water world?
Named TOI-1452b, this exoplanet lies just 100 light-years away from the Earth in the Draco constellation.
Its existence was first hinted at by TESS, which is NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite.
