Ocean Worlds: from Familiar to Exotic and Extreme Planets

Water is a common molecule in the the galaxy and an abundant bulk component of planets - like Neptune, far from their stars. Liquid water - a precious solvent, might be significantly more rare. Exoplanet exploration is both motivated by the search for surface liquid water and is helping us understand the wide diversity of ocean worlds. Such understanding is necessary if we are to succeed in the search for planetary conditions that could lead to the emergence of life.