List of extrasolar candidates for liquid water

[6] In June 2020, NASA scientists reported that it is likely that exoplanets with oceans may be common in the Milky Way galaxy, based on mathematical modeling studies.

[24] This was announced along with another new world, Gliese 581 e, which is next to twice the mass of Earth but too close to its sun for liquid water.

It is on the borders of its star's habitable zone and might have liquid water, and is a potential candidate for a life-supporting world.

But the host is likely to be between 3,000 and 1 million times fainter than the Sun, so the top of the planet's atmosphere is likely to be colder than Pluto.

[40] Among the 1,235 possible extrasolar planet candidates detected by NASA's planet-hunting Kepler space telescope during its first four months of operation, 54 are orbiting in the parent star's habitable 'Goldilocks' zone where liquid water could exist.

[41] Five of these are near Earth-size, and the remaining 49 habitable zone candidates range from twice the size of Earth to larger than Jupiter.

[42] Proxima Centauri b, the nearest known exoplanet, is in the habitable zone of its host star, and might contain liquid water.

They are all located towards the outer system (with the closest to the star, TRAPPIST-1d, being within or slightly outside the inner edge of the habitable zone), making them cool planets.

TRAPPIST-1e and f are probably tidally locked planets, and if liquid water exists in them, it is located in their respective terminator lines.

However, if the planets support a thick enough atmosphere to transfer heat to the sides facing away from the star, much larger portions of them may be habitable.

In July 2022, water was detected on the exoplanet WASP-96b based on spectrum studies with the James Webb Space Telescope.