January 10, 2008

Discoveries About Planets Raise Hopes of Finding Life Beyond Earth

By Richard Monastersky

Astronomers in the past dozen years have discovered 271 planets orbiting distant stars but, like Dorothy, they have not found anyplace like home. That hasn't dampened their hopes of locating extraterrestrial life, however. Several findings announced on Wednesday at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Austin suggest that planets are literally littering the universe and that it might be easier than previously thought for such bodies to provide a hospitable environment for some

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