The following web pages discuss extrasolar planet searches, or contain more links on the same subject. Spending time exploring these sites will make you much more comfortable with the different techniques, and familiar with some of the most interesting results. Please be sure to start by reading your textbook (Ch. 11.2,3) on detection methods, then the tutorials below to understand these methods more fully, then take a look at the various searches. We are concentrating on radial velocity method and transit method, but you should also be familiar with the astrometric and gravitational lensing methods--they will take a longer time to produce results (decades?).

Here are the links for exoplanet searches

• Wikipedia: Extrasolar Planet
  Wiki extrasolar planets entry. Excellent. Link to page on "Methods of detecting extrasolar planets" up-to-date summary of notable exoplanet discoveries, with links. See Gliese 581c,d. Link to separate article on "superearths"
  
  
• The Search for the Extrasolar Planets: A Brief History of the Search, the Findings and the Future Implications
  tutorial and links
  
  
• California & Carnegie Planet Search: Links
  UC Berkeley set of links to many sites containing information on exoplanet searches and astrobiology/SETI in general.
  
  
• Kepler Mission: Capabilities of Various Planet Detection Methods
  Excellent summary of different search methods; part of Kepler transit mission web site.
  
  
• The Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia
  Comprehensive collection of information and many links.
  
  
• Extrasolar Planets Global Searches
  links to all ongoing exoplanet search projects.
  
  
• PlanetQuest
  Jet Propulsion Laboratory/NASA exoplanet site, specializing in Keck, SIM, and TPF interferometer missions, but links to many more. See also: news
  
  
• STARE
  STARE transit search program (1 detection so far). Contains brief tutorial on other methods and links.
  
  
• Kepler: The Search is On
  description of Kepler Mission for detecting Earth-mass planets from space

Biosignatures

• In Search of E.T.'s Breath
  searching for terrestrial-like worlds with Kepler, TPF, and DARWIN missions

Press releases of interest

• A Trio of Super-Earths
  Recent discovery of a triple system of "superearths".
  
  
• heic0720: Hazy red sunset on extrasolar planet
  haze detected in atmosphere of extrasolar planet
  
  
• Hubble Finds First Organic Molecule on an Exoplanet
  methane detected in an extrasolar planet
  
  
• Alien Atmospheres and First Detection Made of an Extrasolar Planet's Atmosphere
  chemical analysis of an exoplanet atmosphere using the transit technique
  
  
• Astronomers Find Highly Elliptical Disk Around Young Star
  an elliptical protoplanetary disk

Many of the general astrobiology web sites listed below have sections on origin of life, but here are a few with more extended discussions to supplement textbook reading.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Origin_of_life
This is the index for the Wiki origin of life topics. The links to Abiogenesis is the main source, but also see Miller-Urey experiment, Peptide nucleic acid, RNA world hypothesis, Spiegelman Monster, and associated links.

I may add more later, but for now we shouldn't overload--the Wiki entry is probably plenty, except that it doesn't cover biological molecules. Try searching under "biomolecules."

3. Astrobiology Web Sites

• The Astrobiology Index (now called Marsbugs)
  Huge collection of links, on nearly every topic, and links to relevant past and future missions, including exoplanet missions. Also links to relevant (mostly technical, refereed) journals.
  
  
• space.com: SETI
  Search for extraterrestrial life at SPACE.com
  
  
• Astrobiology Magazine
  Wide range of topics, mostly press releases with further links.
  
  
• The Astrobiology Web
  Part of Space.com. Links to lots of topics in astrobiology and life sciences.
  
  
• The Astrobiology Network
  Latest new stories, click on right hand column to choose from many categories (includes links to technical articles)
  
  
• NASA Astrobiology Institute
  Link to "teams" to see the various institute teams.
  
  
• Australian Centre for Astrobiology
  
  
• Astrobiology Australasia
  
  
• Cardiff Centre for Astrobiology
  
  
• International Space University (ISU)
  
  
• Lunar and Planetary Institute
  
  
• Russian Astrobiology Centre
  
  
• SETI Institute
  
  
• Swedish Astrobiology Network
  
  
• The Mars Society
  
  
• The Planetary Society

• SETI Institute
  
  
• SETI@Home
  
  
• Columbus Optical SETI Observatory
  
  
• Ohio State Big Ear
  
  
• Optical SETI at Berkeley
  
  
• Optical SETI at Harvard
  
  
• Project BAMBI
  
  
• SERENDIP
  
  
• SETI Australia Centre, Southern SERENDIP
  
  
• Jodrell Bank Observatory SETI Research
  
  
• The SETI League
  
  
• SETI Italia