Planets orbiting other Suns

After a century fraught with false claims, evidence for planets around othe r stars finally appears robust. Infrared imaging and spectroscopy of disks around stars foreshadow detailed models of the formation and evolution of p lanetary systems. Surveys of main-sequence stars show that 5% harbor compan ions of (0.5-8)M-JUP within 3 AU, peaked at lowest masses. Their orbits are either within 0.2 AU or eccentric, and occasionally both. These odd orbits suggest that dynamics with gas and planetesimals yield diverse systems and that stable, coplanar orbits of about nine giant and rocky planets may req uire special initial conditions. Far fewer stars (<1%) harbor (5-80)M-JUP c ompanions. This brown dwarf desert for companions stands in contrast to the abundant brown dwarfs that are freely floating.