February 15, 2002

A Plethora of Planets

By RICHARD MONASTERSKY

Astronomers have found dozens of giant worlds, but they're really looking for something more like home

Call it the Columbus age of astronomy. Every month or so, researchers learn what it must have felt like to sail on the Santa Maria and spy a new world.

A decade ago, astronomers knew of no planets outside our solar system and despaired of ever seeing one. Years of effort had turned up nothing. Since then, though, telescopic searches have detected almost 80 uncharted worlds, and

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