Washington Post: Since astronomers identified the first planet outside our solar system 13 years ago there are now, according to the Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia, 277 confirmed "extrasolar" planets, and quite a few more on the list of those suspected but not yet confirmed.
This explosion in planetary discoveries is taking place at such speed that even those most intimately involved are often amazed.
"This is an absolutely astounding time for this field," said Mark Swain of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who last week reported finding the first "exoplanet" to have organic methane in its atmosphere.
The Washington Post conducted a discussion forum with MIT's Sara Seager on the state of extra planetary research on Monday afternoon.
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