The past two decades have seen an explosion of discovery of extrasolar planets. We are now assembling a picture of the variety of planetary systems in our galaxy, detecting planets in previously unexpected configurations and types. I will describe the results from recent exoplanet surveys, including the Kepler space mission, and the ways in which our understandings of planet formation and evolution have been revolutionized. I will describe the next steps in exoplanet discovery, including the work of low-cost small telescopes, and the future NASA missions that will move us toward the direct detection of biomarkers in the atmospheres of habitable exoplanets.
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Institute for Planets and Exoplanets
