Changes

== Current count ==

== Current count ==

As of December 2009, the number of extrasolar planets detected stands at more than 400. Since the detection methods devised to date favor large, gaseous planets, most detected planets are quite dissimilar to Earth, and they are not thought to be good candidates for finding life.  However, the planet [[Gliese_581c|Gliese 581c]] orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581 (approximately 20 light-years from earth) appears to be a terrestrial (that is, rocky) planet that orbits in the "habitable zone" of space surrounding its star.  The term "habitable" in this context simply means that the stellar light flux it receives is similar to that of Earth, and it therefore might have an Earthlike temperature.  Whether it is in fact habitable depends on many other factors, and is pure speculation at present.

As of February 2014, the number of extrasolar planets detected stands at about 1,700, with NASA announcing (February 26) that the Kepler Telescope had discovered 715 during the previous year<ref>http://www.foxnews.com/science/2014/02/27/nasa-announces-mother-lode-new-planets-715/</ref><ref>http://www.space.com/24824-alien-planets-population-doubles-nasa-kepler.html</ref>. Since the detection methods devised to date favor large, gaseous planets, most of the detected planets are quite dissimilar to Earth, and they are not thought to be good candidates for finding life.  However, the planet [[Gliese_581c|Gliese 581c]] orbiting the red dwarf star Gliese 581 (approximately 20 light-years from earth) appears to be a terrestrial, i.e. rocky, planet that orbits in the "[[habitable zone]]" of space surrounding its star.

==See also==

==See also==