Editor's Summary
3 January 2008
Worlds viewed
Dimitar Sasselov answers the questions you meant to ask about extrasolar planets. How many are there? How do we know? Do they contain water? And of course, the big question: could we live on one of them? Elsewhere in the issue, on page 38, an affirmative answer to the question, 'Have they found a young extrasolar planet yet?'
News and Views Q&A: Astronomy: Extrasolar planets
Hundreds of planets are known to orbit stars other than the Sun, and unprecedented observations of their atmospheres and structures are being made. It's an invaluable opening for understanding the planets' diverse natures, the formation of our Solar System, and the possibility of habitable planets beyond our home.
Dimitar D. Sasselov
doi:10.1038/451029a