So far, astronomers have found thousands of planets orbiting far-away stars, ranging from hot Jupiters to super-Earths. How do we find these distant worlds? Discovering planets is one thing; finding life on those worlds is the next challenge. Could exoplanets support life? What if that life is intelligent? Has it tried to contact us?
EXOPLANETS — Discovering New Worlds describes how astronomers locate Exoplanets and speculates on the existence of extraterrestrial life.