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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 January 2020
The search for life in the Universe is intertwined with studies of extrasolar planets aimed at identifying and understanding habitable rocky planets, including those similar in size, bulk composition, planetary environment, and evolution to Earth. The past five years have seen dramatic progress in our understanding of the small (1–4 REarth) planet population. Here we briefly review key results on the occurrence rates of small planets, the first evidence for compositional diversity of these worlds, early results on the characterization of their atmospheres, and the progress toward finding and interpreting potentially habitable planets orbiting the closest stars. We also briefly highlight next steps in furthering our understanding of the origins and properties of habitable worlds.