International Discoveries of Exoplanets: What We Are Finding Out About Other Worlds

With over 1000 exoplanets on the books, we now have glimpses of worlds where nature is showing off her ability to make possible the impossible.  Exoplanets today are now more varied than the many types of stars, and looking to become as varied as some species of animals on Earth.  Amidst all this variety, we have yet to find a planet that looks like an Earth, and we have certainly not yet found any signs of life out there.  However the chances for both are improving with our ability to detect and characterize exoplanets, particularly nearby ones.  International ongoing discoveries and future space missions are our best bet for making real progress.