Astronomers looking at the heavens through behemoth telescopes have found something missing from the parade of planets discovered since 1995 outside of our solar system: a dearth of worlds a tad larger than Earth but quite a bit smaller than Neptune. Astrophysicist Dakotah Tyler says that some atmosphere-stripping force could be preventing intermediate-size planets from forming or keeping their middleweight girth. The answers not only will resolve an astronomical puzzle but also could enlighten our view of Earth’s (and our own) place in the universe.