Anything with ‘aliens’ in its title these days most often tends to be more sensational than scientific. The topic has been on human civilisation's mind for centuries and as technology developed, we have focussed our scopes and antennae to find hints of alien life in far corners of space.

The reverse might also be true:&nbsp;An alien civilisation may be scouring the void in search of us. Popular culture has been very imaginative about what might happen if aliens come to Earth.

But now, a scientific study is saying that aliens might be able to find us using mobile tower signals. The study has reportedly been published in 'Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.'

The study is titled “Simulation of the Earth’s radio-leakage from mobile towers as seen from selected nearby stellar systems.”

Mobile phones have become part of our lives as they have been that of millions of others in the world. Mobile phone networks need vast array of radio transmission towers.

Part of total volume of radio signals on Earth leaks out into space as well. According to Sciencealert, waves from military radar still form the major chunk of the radio leakage from Earth. But cell power networks have fast risen to the second spot.

Each cell tower reportedly emits radio signal with power of 100-200 Watts. Given large number of mobile towers on the planet, it can be said that radio signals amounting to few gigawatts are beamed into space.

Now if we assume that an alien civilisation has reasonably sophisticated radio astronomy capabilities, the radio leakage from the Earth can be detectable within a dozen light-years or so.

This sounds exciting and scary.

So will we get a random mobile call from an alien one fine day? It looks unlikely because the sheer volume of radio waves on Earth are likely to garble up any individual message for aliens to reach one particular person. 
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Anything with ‘aliens’ in its title these days most often tends to be more sensational than scientific. The topic has been on human civilisation's mind for centuries and as technology developed, we have focussed our scopes and antennae to find hints of alien life in far corners of space.

Anything with ‘aliens’ in its title these days most often tends to be more sensational than scientific. The topic has been on human civilisation's mind for centuries and as technology developed, we have focussed our scopes and antennae to find hints of alien life in far corners of space. The reverse might also be true: An alien civilisation may be scouring the void in search of us. Popular culture has been very imaginative about what might happen if aliens come to Earth. But now, a scientific study is saying that aliens might be able to find us using mobile tower signals. The study has reportedly been published in 'Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.' The study is titled “Simulation of the Earth’s radio-leakage from mobile towers as seen from selected nearby stellar systems.” Mobile phones have become part of our lives as they have been that of millions of others in the world. Mobile phone networks need vast array of radio transmission towers. Part of total volume of radio signals on Earth leaks out into space as well. According to Sciencealert, waves from military radar still form the major chunk of the radio leakage from Earth. But cell power networks have fast risen to the second spot. Each cell tower reportedly emits radio signal with power of 100-200 Watts. Given large number of mobile towers on the planet, it can be said that radio signals amounting to few gigawatts are beamed into space. Now if we assume that an alien civilisation has reasonably sophisticated radio astronomy capabilities, the radio leakage from the Earth can be detectable within a dozen light-years or so. This sounds exciting and scary. So will we get a random mobile call from an alien one fine day? It looks unlikely because the sheer volume of radio waves on Earth are likely to garble up any individual message for aliens to reach one particular person. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Aliens might find us through radio signals leaked by our mobile phone towers, says study

Artificial Intelligence is foreseen as the 'New Normal'. The use of AI is burgeoning in every field. Powerful new chatbots, AI-powered apps and search engines are being released every day. AI boom is taking over the world. Nowadays, AI has become quintessential in the technology-driven field, such as Space Exploration. An advanced space program without AI is difficult to envision.

Are aliens that may visit Earth likely to be AI-powered beings?

Aliens have long been a fascinating subject for humans. Innumerable movies, TV series and books are proof of this allure. Our search for extra-terrestrial has even&nbsp;taken us to other planets, albeit remotely. This search has progressed leaps and bounds in the last few years, but it is still in its natal stages. Global space agencies like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and China National Space Administration (CNSA) have in recent years sent rovers to Mars to aid this search remotely. However, the accuracy of these random searches remains low.

To remedy this, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute has been exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for finding extraterrestrial life on Mars and other icy worlds.

According to a report on Space, a recent study from SETI&nbsp;states that AI could be used to detect microbial life in the depths of the icy oceans on other planets.

In a paper published in Nature Astronomy, the team details how they trained a machine-learning model to scan data for signs of microbial life or other unusual features that could be indicative of alien life.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/heres-how-ai-can-help-modern-day-goldilocks-get-a-good-nights-sleep-578610">Here's how Artificial Intelligence can help modern-day Goldilocks get a good night's sleep</a>

Using a machine learning algorithm called convolutional neural networks (CNNs) a multidisciplinary team of scientists led by SETI's Kim Warren-Rhodes has mapped sparse lifeforms on Earth.&nbsp;Warren-Rhodes worked alongside experts from other prestigious institutions: Michael Phillips of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab&nbsp;and Freddie Kalaitzis of the University&nbsp;of Oxford.

The system developed by them used statistical ecology and AI-detected biosignatures with up to 87.5 per cent accuracy, compared to only 10 per cent for random searches. As per the researchers, it&nbsp;can&nbsp;potentially reduce the search area by up to 97 per cent, making it easier for scientists to locate potential chemical traces of life.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/up-up-and-away-elon-musks-spacex-to-try-and-launch-starship-its-most-powerful-rocket-ever-on-monday-582601">Up, Up, and Away!: Elon Musk’s SpaceX to try and launch ‘Starship,’ its most powerful rocket ever on Monday</a>

For testing their system,&nbsp;they initially&nbsp;focused on the sparse lifeforms that dwell in salt domes, rocks, and crystals at Salar de Pajonales at the boundary of the Chilean Atacama Desert and Altiplano.

Warren-Rhodes and his team collected over 8,000 images and 1,000 samples from Salar de Pajonales to search for photosynthetic microbes that may represent a biosignature on NASA's "ladder of life detection" for finding life beyond Earth.&nbsp;

The team also used drone imagery to simulate Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High-Resolution Imaging Experiment camera's Martian terrain images to examine the region.

They found that microbial life in the region is concentrated in biological hotspots that strongly relate to the availability of water.

Researchers suggest that the machine learning tools developed can be used in robotic planetary missions like NASA's Perseverance Rover. The tools can guide rovers towards areas with a higher probability of having traces of alien life, even if they are rare or hidden.&nbsp;

"With these models, we can design tailor-made roadmaps and algorithms to guide rovers to places with the highest probability of harbouring past or present life  — no matter how hidden or rare," explained Warren-Rhodes.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Aliens have long been a fascinating subject for humans. Innumerable movies, TV series and books are proof of this allure. Our search for extra-terrestrial has even taken us to other planets, albeit remotely.

Aliens have long been a fascinating subject for humans. Innumerable movies, TV series and books are proof of this allure. Our search for extra-terrestrial has even taken us to other planets, albeit remotely. This search has progressed leaps and bounds in the last few years, but it is still in its natal stages. Global space agencies like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and China National Space Administration (CNSA) have in recent years sent rovers to Mars to aid this search remotely. However, the accuracy of these random searches remains low. To remedy this, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute has been exploring the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for finding extraterrestrial life on Mars and other icy worlds. According to a report on Space, a recent study from SETI states that AI could be used to detect microbial life in the depths of the icy oceans on other planets. In a paper published in Nature Astronomy, the team details how they trained a machine-learning model to scan data for signs of microbial life or other unusual features that could be indicative of alien life. Also read | Here's how Artificial Intelligence can help modern-day Goldilocks get a good night's sleep Using a machine learning algorithm called convolutional neural networks (CNNs) a multidisciplinary team of scientists led by SETI's Kim Warren-Rhodes has mapped sparse lifeforms on Earth. Warren-Rhodes worked alongside experts from other prestigious institutions: Michael Phillips of Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab and Freddie Kalaitzis of the University of Oxford. The system developed by them used statistical ecology and AI-detected biosignatures with up to 87.5 per cent accuracy, compared to only 10 per cent for random searches. As per the researchers, it can potentially reduce the search area by up to 97 per cent, making it easier for scientists to locate potential chemical traces of life. Also read | Up, Up, and Away!: Elon Musk’s SpaceX to try and launch ‘Starship,’ its most powerful rocket ever on Monday For testing their system, they initially focused on the sparse lifeforms that dwell in salt domes, rocks, and crystals at Salar de Pajonales at the boundary of the Chilean Atacama Desert and Altiplano. Warren-Rhodes and his team collected over 8,000 images and 1,000 samples from Salar de Pajonales to search for photosynthetic microbes that may represent a biosignature on NASA's "ladder of life detection" for finding life beyond Earth. The team also used drone imagery to simulate Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's High-Resolution Imaging Experiment camera's Martian terrain images to examine the region. They found that microbial life in the region is concentrated in biological hotspots that strongly relate to the availability of water. Researchers suggest that the machine learning tools developed can be used in robotic planetary missions like NASA's Perseverance Rover. The tools can guide rovers towards areas with a higher probability of having traces of alien life, even if they are rare or hidden. "With these models, we can design tailor-made roadmaps and algorithms to guide rovers to places with the highest probability of harbouring past or present life  — no matter how hidden or rare," explained Warren-Rhodes. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Research reveals how Artificial Intelligence can help look for alien lifeforms on Mars and other planets

The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) on Friday (April 14). The launch took place from ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. An Ariane 5 rocket lifted-off carrying JUICE probe at 9:14 am local time (1214 GMT). The path ahead is long and winding. The space probe will be in Jupiter's orbit by July 2031. Jupiter is 628 million kilometre away from our home planet.&nbsp;

The European Space Agency posted launch of JUICE on its social media handle. Check out the brilliant video.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Another view of <a href="https://twitter.com/ariane5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ariane5</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VA260?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VA260</a> liftoff and ascent. For real-time mission updates, follow <a href="https://twitter.com/Arianespace?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Arianespace</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ESA_JUICE?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ESA_JUICE</a> 👍 <a href="https://t.co/1YCuYhPr2h">pic.twitter.com/1YCuYhPr2h</a>
— ESA (@esa) <a href="https://twitter.com/esa/status/1646851886945820673?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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JUICE will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments. The mission will explore the&nbsp;moons as possible habitats besides studying Jupiter’s complex environment.

So what will JUICE do during it's mission? Let's get the dope.

<h2>What is JUICE's mission?</h2>

Finding aliens! Quite literally.

We may be less than a decade away from finding signs of life (or life itself) in our solar system! Finding alien life has been a scientific pre-occupation for us for decades. The question, 'Are we are alone in the Universe?' has been on our mind for a long time. To find the answer, we have applied our minds and focussed our powerful lenses which have been scanning distant corners or deep space for decades. Our giant radio receptors are ever alert to catch a transmission from an alien civilisation. We have also sent space probes (Voyager 1 and 2) packed with information in hopes that someday aliens will find them and come to know about us.

But the answer may be closer to home than we think. Alien life may be present in our Solar System itself.

<h2>Where can aliens be in our Solar System?</h2>

There are several candidates. Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system has several satellites which have had scientists interested. Europa, in particular has been in focus.

Europa is an icy world. The surface of the planet is covered by extremely thick ice sheets. Ice is lighter than water, so wherever there's ice, there is a possibility of water underneath.

Scientist think that Europa has oceans of liquid water under its massive ice sheets. And we know from our own planet that water means life.&nbsp;

In theory at least, it is possible that Europa harbours life in liquid oceans below the surface. This may be a downer for those of us expecting insect like aliens with antennas on their head to exist in space. But even if we find definitive proof of sea creatures swimming in Europa's oceans, wouldn't it be insanely fantastic discovery?

In addition to Europa, JUICE will study Ganymede and Callisto, two more satellites of Jupiter.&nbsp;

<h2>How will JUICE search for&nbsp;life?</h2>

Whenever we talk of life under Europa's ice sheets, first image that comes to mind is that of a human-made machine dutifully drilling the ice. This may sound easy enough until we know that Europa's ice sheets are thought to be between 16 and 24 kilometres thick!

Drilling to such depths is hard enough task on Earth, forget doing it on a frozen world millions of kilometres away. Logistics will be a major problem.&nbsp;

So how will JUICE manage?

It will make remote observations. But this will not be just clicking a random picture from the orbit. JUICE has 10 state-of-the-art scientific instruments onboard. It's high resolution mapping of the surface at different wavelengths will tell us about composition of the ice at the surface.&nbsp;

JUICE will also look for biological signatures, that it, chemicals that form as a result of various biological processes. If such chemicals are found, it will boost the possibility of existence of life on Europa.

JUICE is not expected to actually find extraterrestrial life. It definitely won't drop a fishing net to catch some Europan salmon. But its readings and observations will enable us to assess habitability of the satellite.

<h2>Why is JUICE taking 8 years to reach Jupiter?</h2>

JUICE launch on April 14 doesn't give it a straight highway ticket from Earth to Jupiter. The space probe is taking a long-winding route that'll see it taking 'gravity assists' from Earth, Moon, and Venus.

A 'gravity assist' is a technique by which a spacecraft takes help of gravitational field of a planet to get a speed boost. For gravity assist, the spacecraft needs to pass through the planet's gravitational field at a carefully calibrated exact point in order to get a 'slingshot effect'. Smallest of the mistakes during this manoeuvre results in the spacecraft getting pulled towards the planet and getting destroyed in an unfortunate crash.

"By the time the first solar orbit is complete, Earth has caught up with JUICE and the first gravity-assist manoeuvre can be performed. At this point, the spacecraft is deflected towards Venus and it falls in the direction of the Sun, increasing speed...After passing Venus, JUICE makes subsequent flybys of Earth, Mars...and Earth again before its rendezvous with Jupiter in October 2029," says the European Space Agency on its website. 
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The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) on Friday (April 14). The launch took place from ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) on Friday (April 14). The launch took place from ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. An Ariane 5 rocket lifted-off carrying JUICE probe at 9:14 am local time (1214 GMT). The path ahead is long and winding. The space probe will be in Jupiter's orbit by July 2031. Jupiter is 628 million kilometre away from our home planet. The European Space Agency posted launch of JUICE on its social media handle. Check out the brilliant video. Another view of @ariane5 #VA260 liftoff and ascent. For real-time mission updates, follow @Arianespace and @ESA_JUICE 👍 pic.twitter.com/1YCuYhPr2h — ESA (@esa) April 14, 2023 × JUICE will make detailed observations of the giant gas planet and its three large ocean-bearing moons – Ganymede, Callisto and Europa – with remote sensing, geophysical and in situ instruments. The mission will explore the moons as possible habitats besides studying Jupiter’s complex environment. So what will JUICE do during it's mission? Let's get the dope. What is JUICE's mission? Finding aliens! Quite literally. We may be less than a decade away from finding signs of life (or life itself) in our solar system! Finding alien life has been a scientific pre-occupation for us for decades. The question, 'Are we are alone in the Universe?' has been on our mind for a long time. To find the answer, we have applied our minds and focussed our powerful lenses which have been scanning distant corners or deep space for decades. Our giant radio receptors are ever alert to catch a transmission from an alien civilisation. We have also sent space probes (Voyager 1 and 2) packed with information in hopes that someday aliens will find them and come to know about us. But the answer may be closer to home than we think. Alien life may be present in our Solar System itself. Where can aliens be in our Solar System? There are several candidates. Jupiter, the biggest planet in our solar system has several satellites which have had scientists interested. Europa, in particular has been in focus. Europa is an icy world. The surface of the planet is covered by extremely thick ice sheets. Ice is lighter than water, so wherever there's ice, there is a possibility of water underneath. Scientist think that Europa has oceans of liquid water under its massive ice sheets. And we know from our own planet that water means life. In theory at least, it is possible that Europa harbours life in liquid oceans below the surface. This may be a downer for those of us expecting insect like aliens with antennas on their head to exist in space. But even if we find definitive proof of sea creatures swimming in Europa's oceans, wouldn't it be insanely fantastic discovery? In addition to Europa, JUICE will study Ganymede and Callisto, two more satellites of Jupiter. How will JUICE search for life? Whenever we talk of life under Europa's ice sheets, first image that comes to mind is that of a human-made machine dutifully drilling the ice. This may sound easy enough until we know that Europa's ice sheets are thought to be between 16 and 24 kilometres thick! Drilling to such depths is hard enough task on Earth, forget doing it on a frozen world millions of kilometres away. Logistics will be a major problem. So how will JUICE manage? It will make remote observations. But this will not be just clicking a random picture from the orbit. JUICE has 10 state-of-the-art scientific instruments onboard. It's high resolution mapping of the surface at different wavelengths will tell us about composition of the ice at the surface. JUICE will also look for biological signatures, that it, chemicals that form as a result of various biological processes. If such chemicals are found, it will boost the possibility of existence of life on Europa. JUICE is not expected to actually find extraterrestrial life. It definitely won't drop a fishing net to catch some Europan salmon. But its readings and observations will enable us to assess habitability of the satellite. Why is JUICE taking 8 years to reach Jupiter? JUICE launch on April 14 doesn't give it a straight highway ticket from Earth to Jupiter. The space probe is taking a long-winding route that'll see it taking 'gravity assists' from Earth, Moon, and Venus. A 'gravity assist' is a technique by which a spacecraft takes help of gravitational field of a planet to get a speed boost. For gravity assist, the spacecraft needs to pass through the planet's gravitational field at a carefully calibrated exact point in order to get a 'slingshot effect'. Smallest of the mistakes during this manoeuvre results in the spacecraft getting pulled towards the planet and getting destroyed in an unfortunate crash. "By the time the first solar orbit is complete, Earth has caught up with JUICE and the first gravity-assist manoeuvre can be performed. At this point, the spacecraft is deflected towards Venus and it falls in the direction of the Sun, increasing speed...After passing Venus, JUICE makes subsequent flybys of Earth, Mars...and Earth again before its rendezvous with Jupiter in October 2029," says the European Space Agency on its website. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Explained | Get the dope on JUICE, Europe’s mission to find aliens

A Pentagon official and a Harvard scientist have made a stunning proposition. They have suggested that an alien mothership is present in our solar system, which may be monitoring the earth with tiny probes. Are aliens watching us? How credible is the story? Molly Gambhir reports.

Gravitas: Alien spaceship lurking in our solar system?

In a draft document, Pentagon officials last week suggested that aliens may be visiting our solar system and releasing tiny probes similar to the mission which NASA conducts to study other planets.

The draft report of the research was authored by the director of the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Sean Kirkpatrick and Harvard University astronomy department's chairman Abraham Loeb and emphasised the unidentified aerial phenomena's physical constraints.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/aliens-on-distant-exoplanets-scientists-say-terminator-zones-could-harbour-life-573183">Aliens on distant exoplanets? Scientists say ‘terminator zones’ could harbour life</a>

“An artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth, an operational construct not too dissimilar from NASA missions,” read the report.

“These ‘dandelion seeds’ could be separated from the parent craft by the tidal gravitational force of the Sun or by a manoeuvring capability,” it added.

In July 2022, the AARO was established and given the responsibility to track the objects present in space, sky and underwater and even objects which may have shifted from one domain to another.

NASA was given the task of finding about 90 per cent of objects present near Earth which are larger than 140 meters in 2005, which led to Pan-STARRS telescopes, as per the report.

An unusual interstellar object was detected by Pan-STARRS on October 19, 2017, which was later named ‘Oumuamua', or scout in Hawaiian.

The object was shaped like a cigar and appeared flat and was propelled away from the sun without displaying a cometary tail which made scientists believe it was artificial.

Another object was discovered three years later, noted the report which was called NASA’s rocket booster 2020 SO and had no cometary trail.

WATCH | Gravitas: The Earth has a hidden layer. Here's what it's called&nbsp;

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The report added that six months before ‘Oumuamua' came closer to the Earth, another meter-sized interstellar meteor called IM2 had crashed on the Earth, showing similar speed relative to the Sun at large distances and looking like the ‘Oumuamua'.

“With proper design, these tiny probes would reach the Earth or other solar system planets for exploration, as the parent craft passes by within a fraction of the Earth-Sun separation — just like ‘Oumuamua’ did,” the authors stated.

“Astronomers would not be able to notice the spray of mini probes because they do not reflect enough sunlight for existing survey telescopes to notice them,” they added.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In a draft document, Pentagon officials last week suggested that aliens may be visiting our solar system and releasing tiny probes similar to the mission which NASA conducts to study other planets.

In a draft document, Pentagon officials last week suggested that aliens may be visiting our solar system and releasing tiny probes similar to the mission which NASA conducts to study other planets. The draft report of the research was authored by the director of the Pentagon’s All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Sean Kirkpatrick and Harvard University astronomy department's chairman Abraham Loeb and emphasised the unidentified aerial phenomena's physical constraints. ALSO READ | Aliens on distant exoplanets? Scientists say ‘terminator zones’ could harbour life “An artificial interstellar object could potentially be a parent craft that releases many small probes during its close passage to Earth, an operational construct not too dissimilar from NASA missions,” read the report. “These ‘dandelion seeds’ could be separated from the parent craft by the tidal gravitational force of the Sun or by a manoeuvring capability,” it added. In July 2022, the AARO was established and given the responsibility to track the objects present in space, sky and underwater and even objects which may have shifted from one domain to another. NASA was given the task of finding about 90 per cent of objects present near Earth which are larger than 140 meters in 2005, which led to Pan-STARRS telescopes, as per the report. An unusual interstellar object was detected by Pan-STARRS on October 19, 2017, which was later named ‘Oumuamua', or scout in Hawaiian. The object was shaped like a cigar and appeared flat and was propelled away from the sun without displaying a cometary tail which made scientists believe it was artificial. Another object was discovered three years later, noted the report which was called NASA’s rocket booster 2020 SO and had no cometary trail. WATCH | Gravitas: The Earth has a hidden layer. Here's what it's called The report added that six months before ‘Oumuamua' came closer to the Earth, another meter-sized interstellar meteor called IM2 had crashed on the Earth, showing similar speed relative to the Sun at large distances and looking like the ‘Oumuamua'. “With proper design, these tiny probes would reach the Earth or other solar system planets for exploration, as the parent craft passes by within a fraction of the Earth-Sun separation — just like ‘Oumuamua’ did,” the authors stated. “Astronomers would not be able to notice the spray of mini probes because they do not reflect enough sunlight for existing survey telescopes to notice them,” they added. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Aliens watching us through tiny probes, suggest Pentagon officials

A Pacific expedition is being planned by a prominent Harvard physicist to find what he believes to be an alien artefact which has fallen from space into the ocean.

Physicist Avi Loeb announced that an ocean expedition worth $1.5 million to Papua New Guinea is being organised by him in search of fragments of an object which crashed off the coast of the country's Manus Island in 2014.

The object was noticed by Loeb in 2019 and it was identified as the first ever discovered interstellar meteor, which means its origin lies outside our solar system.

As per Loeb, the interstellar origin of the meteor was confirmed to NASA by the Department of Defence’s space command in April 2022.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/aliens-on-distant-exoplanets-scientists-say-terminator-zones-could-harbour-life-573183">Aliens on distant exoplanets? Scientists say ‘terminator zones’ could harbour life</a>

Loeb and his team also reached the conclusion that the meteor was tougher compared to all other 272 meteors listed in the Centre for Near Earth Object Studies catalogue of NASA.

“Intrigued by this conclusion, I established a team that designed a two-week expedition to search for the meteor fragments at a depth of 1.7km on the ocean floor. Analysing the composition of the fragments could allow us to determine whether the object is natural or artificial in origin,” wrote Loeb in a post on Medium.

“We have a boat. We have a dream team, including some of the most experienced and qualified professionals in ocean expeditions. We have complete design and manufacturing plans for the required sledge, magnets, collection nets and mass spectrometer,” he further stated.

As per Loeb, there is a possibility that the meteor is tough “because they are artificial in origin…launched a billion years ago from a distant technological civilisation.”

WATCH | Is an alien looking at us from Mars?

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A ship with a magnetic sledge is expected to be used for the ocean expedition. The team will include seven sledge operations along with a scientific team.

“We will tow a sledge mounted with magnets, cameras and lights on the ocean floor inside of a 10km×10km search box. A number of sources have been used to narrow the search site to this relatively small search box,” wrote Loeb and his team.&nbsp; 
 
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A Pacific expedition is being planned by a prominent Harvard physicist to find what he believes to be an alien artefact which has fallen from space into the ocean.

A Pacific expedition is being planned by a prominent Harvard physicist to find what he believes to be an alien artefact which has fallen from space into the ocean. Physicist Avi Loeb announced that an ocean expedition worth $1.5 million to Papua New Guinea is being organised by him in search of fragments of an object which crashed off the coast of the country's Manus Island in 2014. The object was noticed by Loeb in 2019 and it was identified as the first ever discovered interstellar meteor, which means its origin lies outside our solar system. As per Loeb, the interstellar origin of the meteor was confirmed to NASA by the Department of Defence’s space command in April 2022. ALSO READ | Aliens on distant exoplanets? Scientists say ‘terminator zones’ could harbour life Loeb and his team also reached the conclusion that the meteor was tougher compared to all other 272 meteors listed in the Centre for Near Earth Object Studies catalogue of NASA. “Intrigued by this conclusion, I established a team that designed a two-week expedition to search for the meteor fragments at a depth of 1.7km on the ocean floor. Analysing the composition of the fragments could allow us to determine whether the object is natural or artificial in origin,” wrote Loeb in a post on Medium. “We have a boat. We have a dream team, including some of the most experienced and qualified professionals in ocean expeditions. We have complete design and manufacturing plans for the required sledge, magnets, collection nets and mass spectrometer,” he further stated. As per Loeb, there is a possibility that the meteor is tough “because they are artificial in origin…launched a billion years ago from a distant technological civilisation.” WATCH | Is an alien looking at us from Mars? A ship with a magnetic sledge is expected to be used for the ocean expedition. The team will include seven sledge operations along with a scientific team. “We will tow a sledge mounted with magnets, cameras and lights on the ocean floor inside of a 10km×10km search box. A number of sources have been used to narrow the search site to this relatively small search box,” wrote Loeb and his team. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Harvard physicist in search for ‘alien artefact’ that fell from space

Here, we bring you the news that is trending across WION's social media platforms - Afraid of breakup? Invest in 'heartbreak insurance fund', International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Putin over war crimes in Ukraine, Is the Indian Rupee challenging the dollar's dominance in global trade?

Aliens on distant Exoplanets?; Code used for recommending tweets will be public | Trending on WION

A recent study was conducted by astronomers from the University of California, Irvine, in which they suggested the possibility of aliens hiding in special 'terminator zones' on distant exoplanets, where the temperature is not too hot or cold.

Various exoplanets, which are outside our solar system, remain tidally locked and hence, one side always continues to face the star around which they orbit and the other side remains permanently in darkness.

The astronomers, in their study, found that there is a band around these planets in which there is a possibility that they are harbouring liquid water which is the main ingredient for life.

This band is called the 'terminator zone' where the terminator acts as the dividing line between the day side and night side of the exoplanet.

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/uk-eerily-cool-cloud-illuminated-by-worm-moon-leaves-skywatchers-thrilled-570752">UK: 'Eerily cool' cloud illuminated by worm moon leaves skywatchers thrilled</a>

The scientists said that the water is likely to remain frozen on the cold night side and is likely to evaporate due to heat on the light dayside.

“The dayside can be scorching hot, well beyond habitability, and the night side is going to be freezing, potentially covered in ice. You could have large glaciers at the night side. You want a planet that's in the sweet spot of just the right temperature for having liquid water,” said lead author, Dr Ana Lobo.

“We are trying to draw attention to more water-limited planets, which despite not having widespread oceans, could have lakes or other smaller bodies of liquid water, and these climates could actually be very promising,” she added.

Lobo added that one of the major findings was understanding what kind of terminator zone can retain liquid water on the planet. The team discovered that if water is mostly covering the planet then the water facing the star is most likely to evaporate and the entire planet will be covered in a thick layer of vapour. However, this effect shouldn't take place if there's land.

WATCH | Gravitas: Mysterious object washes up on Japanese beach

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“Ana has shown if there’s a lot of land on the planet, the scenario we call ‘terminator habitability’ can exist a lot more easily,” said Aomawa Shields, UCI associate professor of physics &amp; astronomy.

“These new and exotic habitability states our team is uncovering are no longer the stuff of science fiction — Ana has done the work to show that such states can be climatically stable,” Shields added.

Identifying terminator zones as a potential place for harbouring life also means that astronomers are required to adjust the way exoplanet climates are being studied for finding signs of life because there is a chance of biosignatures life creates being present in few parts of the atmosphere of the planet. 
 
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A recent study was conducted by astronomers from the University of California, Irvine, in which they suggested the possibility of aliens hiding in special 'terminator zones' on distant exoplanets, where the temperature is not too hot or cold.

A recent study was conducted by astronomers from the University of California, Irvine, in which they suggested the possibility of aliens hiding in special 'terminator zones' on distant exoplanets, where the temperature is not too hot or cold. Various exoplanets, which are outside our solar system, remain tidally locked and hence, one side always continues to face the star around which they orbit and the other side remains permanently in darkness. The astronomers, in their study, found that there is a band around these planets in which there is a possibility that they are harbouring liquid water which is the main ingredient for life. This band is called the 'terminator zone' where the terminator acts as the dividing line between the day side and night side of the exoplanet. ALSO READ | UK: 'Eerily cool' cloud illuminated by worm moon leaves skywatchers thrilled The scientists said that the water is likely to remain frozen on the cold night side and is likely to evaporate due to heat on the light dayside. “The dayside can be scorching hot, well beyond habitability, and the night side is going to be freezing, potentially covered in ice. You could have large glaciers at the night side. You want a planet that's in the sweet spot of just the right temperature for having liquid water,” said lead author, Dr Ana Lobo. “We are trying to draw attention to more water-limited planets, which despite not having widespread oceans, could have lakes or other smaller bodies of liquid water, and these climates could actually be very promising,” she added. Lobo added that one of the major findings was understanding what kind of terminator zone can retain liquid water on the planet. The team discovered that if water is mostly covering the planet then the water facing the star is most likely to evaporate and the entire planet will be covered in a thick layer of vapour. However, this effect shouldn't take place if there's land. WATCH | Gravitas: Mysterious object washes up on Japanese beach “Ana has shown if there’s a lot of land on the planet, the scenario we call ‘terminator habitability’ can exist a lot more easily,” said Aomawa Shields, UCI associate professor of physics & astronomy. “These new and exotic habitability states our team is uncovering are no longer the stuff of science fiction — Ana has done the work to show that such states can be climatically stable,” Shields added. Identifying terminator zones as a potential place for harbouring life also means that astronomers are required to adjust the way exoplanet climates are being studied for finding signs of life because there is a chance of biosignatures life creates being present in few parts of the atmosphere of the planet. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Aliens on distant exoplanets? Scientists say ‘terminator zones’ could harbour life

Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, who has helmed films like&nbsp;The Fabelmans, West Side Story, The Post, and Lincoln among others,&nbsp;recently appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert&nbsp;and shared his view on aliens and UFOs. The director also claimed that the US government is trying to cover up their existence.

"I don't believe we're alone in the universe," Spielberg said, before adding,&nbsp; "I think it's mathematically impossible that we are the only intelligent species in the cosmos. That's totally impossible. It is exciting."

The director also shared that he has investigated and discovered over 500 real-life encounters with aliens. Describing the discovery of the events as "fascinating", he also stated that he&nbsp;believes the government is trying to keep its details under wraps and hushed up.

"There is something out there. I do not know if I am a believer in the sense I am the kind of person that would think I have got to see something like that to believe it. I can make up stuff and make movies about things I have never seen or experienced. That is fine. In terms of really believing something, I would have to have my own close encounter,"&nbsp;Spielberg shared.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-pathaan-box-office-collection-shah-rukh-khans-film-earns-over-rs-10-billion-worldwide-568753">Pathaan box office collection: Shah Rukh Khan's film earns over Rs 10 billion worldwide</a>

"I have never seen a UFO. I wish I did. I have never seen anything I could not explain. But I believe certain people who have seen things they cannot explain. That is unexplainable. I think what has been coming out recently is fascinating,"&nbsp;Spielberg added.

"It almost seems impossible that anybody would visit us from 400 million light years from here except in the movies - unless it figures out some way of basically jumping the shark and getting here through wormholes," he concluded.

The Academy Award-winning filmmaker has helmed several movies about the supernatural. He helmed the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which was about a blue-collar worker whose life changes&nbsp;when he encounters a UFO. He also helmed the 2005 film War of the Worlds, which is about an alien invasion of Earth that threatens to destroy human life.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, who has helmed films like The Fabelmans, West Side Story, The Post, and Lincoln among others, recently appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and shared his view on aliens and UFOs.

Hollywood director Steven Spielberg, who has helmed films like The Fabelmans, West Side Story, The Post, and Lincoln among others, recently appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and shared his view on aliens and UFOs. The director also claimed that the US government is trying to cover up their existence. "I don't believe we're alone in the universe," Spielberg said, before adding, "I think it's mathematically impossible that we are the only intelligent species in the cosmos. That's totally impossible. It is exciting." The director also shared that he has investigated and discovered over 500 real-life encounters with aliens. Describing the discovery of the events as "fascinating", he also stated that he believes the government is trying to keep its details under wraps and hushed up. "There is something out there. I do not know if I am a believer in the sense I am the kind of person that would think I have got to see something like that to believe it. I can make up stuff and make movies about things I have never seen or experienced. That is fine. In terms of really believing something, I would have to have my own close encounter," Spielberg shared. Also read: Pathaan box office collection: Shah Rukh Khan's film earns over Rs 10 billion worldwide "I have never seen a UFO. I wish I did. I have never seen anything I could not explain. But I believe certain people who have seen things they cannot explain. That is unexplainable. I think what has been coming out recently is fascinating," Spielberg added. "It almost seems impossible that anybody would visit us from 400 million light years from here except in the movies - unless it figures out some way of basically jumping the shark and getting here through wormholes," he concluded. The Academy Award-winning filmmaker has helmed several movies about the supernatural. He helmed the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, which was about a blue-collar worker whose life changes when he encounters a UFO. He also helmed the 2005 film War of the Worlds, which is about an alien invasion of Earth that threatens to destroy human life. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Steven Spielberg believes aliens exist; accuses US government of hiding information about UFOs

The United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI) has dismissed more than half of 'UFO' sightings as&nbsp;they've been found to have ordinary explanations. This has ruled&nbsp;out any extra-terrestrial origin. The office of the DNI released a report on these examinations on Thursday (January 12). It mentions analysis of 366 incidents of 'Unknown Aerial Phenomena' (UAP) sighted or reported since the last report on such analysis of&nbsp;cases in the year 2021.

The report says that out of 366 incidents, 26 were drones, 163 were balloons and six were airborne clutter, like birds or trash. The report notes that 171 incidents remain unexplained.

Search for alien life has been a preoccupation of humankind for centuries. This has not only sparked serious scientific research and studies but also a frenzy in popular culture to scan the skies to attribute any unexplained object to an alien craft visiting Earth.

Official reports like the one released by the Director of National Intelligence are often aimed at quelling fears of doom and unnecessary speculation, but unexplained cases mentioned in these reports give rise to a fresh crop of conspiracy theories.

Office of the DNI has said in its latest report that a portion of 171 unexplained cases “demonstrate unusual flight characteristics” and a further analysis will be carried out. However, the report does not mention the exact number of how many such cases have been found.

In the age of drone warfare, it is becoming increasingly important to keep eye on unidentified crafts as it may be an espionage attempt by a rival country. For everything else, there's always a scary theory predicting the end of the Earth as we know it.

Legendary scientist Enrico Fermi had famously asked "Where is everyone?" in relation to his amazement at why aliens haven't visited Earth yet. The current report perhaps, gives, atleast for now,&nbsp;a chance to those against conspiracy&nbsp;theories to say, "There is everyone"

A (human) drone does not an alien craft make.

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The United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI) has dismissed more than half of 'UFO' sightings as they've been found to have ordinary explanations. This has ruled out any extra-terrestrial origin.

The United States Director of National Intelligence (DNI) has dismissed more than half of 'UFO' sightings as they've been found to have ordinary explanations. This has ruled out any extra-terrestrial origin. The office of the DNI released a report on these examinations on Thursday (January 12). It mentions analysis of 366 incidents of 'Unknown Aerial Phenomena' (UAP) sighted or reported since the last report on such analysis of cases in the year 2021. The report says that out of 366 incidents, 26 were drones, 163 were balloons and six were airborne clutter, like birds or trash. The report notes that 171 incidents remain unexplained. Search for alien life has been a preoccupation of humankind for centuries. This has not only sparked serious scientific research and studies but also a frenzy in popular culture to scan the skies to attribute any unexplained object to an alien craft visiting Earth. Official reports like the one released by the Director of National Intelligence are often aimed at quelling fears of doom and unnecessary speculation, but unexplained cases mentioned in these reports give rise to a fresh crop of conspiracy theories. Office of the DNI has said in its latest report that a portion of 171 unexplained cases “demonstrate unusual flight characteristics” and a further analysis will be carried out. However, the report does not mention the exact number of how many such cases have been found. In the age of drone warfare, it is becoming increasingly important to keep eye on unidentified crafts as it may be an espionage attempt by a rival country. For everything else, there's always a scary theory predicting the end of the Earth as we know it. Legendary scientist Enrico Fermi had famously asked "Where is everyone?" in relation to his amazement at why aliens haven't visited Earth yet. The current report perhaps, gives, atleast for now, a chance to those against conspiracy theories to say, "There is everyone" A (human) drone does not an alien craft make. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

THERE is everyone: US dismisses majority UFO sightings as ordinary

Are we alone in the universe or is there someone out there? Could there be sentient beings on some other planet? well these are questions that have left us guessing for answers for a long time. Now NASA and space agencies around the world have been peering through space to look for clues.

NASA officially embarks on 'Mission UFO',  announces the team members for its study

The US Navy on Wednesday, responding to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by a YouTube channel remarked that it will not be releasing the unseen videos of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) as the US government prefers to call it, in the public domain.

The US Navy on Wednesday, responding to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request filed by a YouTube channel remarked that it will not be releasing the unseen videos of unidentified flying objects (UFOs) or unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) as the US government prefers to call it, in the public domain. “The release of this information will harm national security as it may provide adversaries valuable information regarding Department of Defense/Navy operations, vulnerabilities, and/or capabilities. No portions of the videos can be segregated for release,” said Gregory Cason, deputy director of the Navy's FOIA office in a written response. Reportedly, The Black Vault, a self-proclaimed government transparency website and YouTube channel had filed the request two years ago where it solicited the release of videos. In Pics | UNBELIEVABLE, but claimed to be REAL: Here are some popular and intriguing UFO sightings The US Navy responded two years later and accepted that UFO videos did exist but denied releasing them for public consumption. The US Navy also made it clear why it had released the previous three UAP videos and why it wouldn't release the one's that The Black vault asked for. “While three UAP videos were released in the past, the facts specific to those three videos are unique in that those videos were initially released via unofficial channels before official release,” read the report. “Those events were discussed extensively in the public domain; in fact, major news outlets conducted specials on these events. Given the amount of information in the public domain regarding these encounters, it was possible to release the files without further damage to national security,” it further added. As reported by WION, earlier this year in May, top Pentagon officials showed unexplained UFO videos. Ronald Moultrie and Scott Bray, two top officials of the Pentagon appeared before US House of Representatives intelligence subcommittee and showed the declassified UFO videos. Read more: Pentagon shows declassified UFO videos to US Congress in public hearing In one clip, a flashing triangle-shaped object in the night sky was seen. The other showed a shiny, spherical object zipping past the cockpit window of a military aircraft. The duo testified that reports of UFOs are 'frequent' and have been on the rise for more than a decade. However, they also added that US officials are unable to explain some of these sightings. "There are a small handful of cases in which we have more data that our analysis simply hasn't been able to fully pull together a picture of what happened," Scott Bray told the committee. UFO sightings have long fascinated the public across the planet. There have been numerous instances where people have sworn to have witnessed an extraterrestrial vehicle. However, so far, no concrete proof apart from the videos has come out in the public domain. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US Navy says it has several UFO videos, won't release them due to 'national security'

We do not know of life beyond Earth. There hasn't been any conclusive proof yet. We have tried to contact alien civilizations (if they exist). But we have got no response till now. However, it is intriguing to imagine that there is indeed an alien civilization out there that's trying to contact us and hasn't been successful. Till now at least.

A 'heartbeat' like radio signal has been received by universities across US and Canada. This radio signal, coming from a distant galaxy is flashing with surprising regularity.

Such signals are called Fast Radio Bursts or FRB. Generally, FRB's last for several milliseconds. But this FRB has lasted 1000 times longer. The scientists have discovered that the bursts are taking place every 0.2 seconds. This is similar to a beating heart.

The FRB has been designated FRB 20191221A by scientists. It is the longest-lasting FRB till date.

The radio signals are coming from a galaxy billions of light years away. The source of the radio bursts is unknown but it is being said by the scientists that it is a radio pulsar or a magnetar that is emitting this signal

“There are not many things in the universe that emit strictly periodic signals,” says Daniele Michilli, a postdoc in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. “Examples that we know of in our own galaxy are radio pulsars and magnetars, which rotate and produce a beamed emission similar to a lighthouse. And we think this new signal could be a magnetar or pulsar on steroids.”

The discovery has been reported in the journal Nature.

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We do not know of life beyond Earth. There hasn't been any conclusive proof yet. We have tried to contact alien civilizations (if they exist). But we have got no response till now.

We do not know of life beyond Earth. There hasn't been any conclusive proof yet. We have tried to contact alien civilizations (if they exist). But we have got no response till now. However, it is intriguing to imagine that there is indeed an alien civilization out there that's trying to contact us and hasn't been successful. Till now at least. A 'heartbeat' like radio signal has been received by universities across US and Canada. This radio signal, coming from a distant galaxy is flashing with surprising regularity. Such signals are called Fast Radio Bursts or FRB. Generally, FRB's last for several milliseconds. But this FRB has lasted 1000 times longer. The scientists have discovered that the bursts are taking place every 0.2 seconds. This is similar to a beating heart. The FRB has been designated FRB 20191221A by scientists. It is the longest-lasting FRB till date. The radio signals are coming from a galaxy billions of light years away. The source of the radio bursts is unknown but it is being said by the scientists that it is a radio pulsar or a magnetar that is emitting this signal “There are not many things in the universe that emit strictly periodic signals,” says Daniele Michilli, a postdoc in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. “Examples that we know of in our own galaxy are radio pulsars and magnetars, which rotate and produce a beamed emission similar to a lighthouse. And we think this new signal could be a magnetar or pulsar on steroids.” The discovery has been reported in the journal Nature. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

'Heartbeat' in space: Mysterious radio signal from nothingness has been received

Search for extraterrestrial life is a fascinating endevour. While popular image of aliens has them having tentacles and big eyes etc, even microbes on another planet can be called aliens. While our search for aliens has us focussing our lenses towards distant reaches of space, we are keen on finding proof in our Solar System as well. Mars and Venus, our neighbours are among prime candidates in this regard.

But now, Cambridege University researchers have said that unusal behaviour of Sulphur in the atmosphere of Venus can't beb explained by 'aerial' form of extra-terrestrial life. There has been a speculation for decades that Veuns harbours microbial life among its Sulphurous clouds.&nbsp;

Any life form in sufficient abundance is expected to leave chemical fingerprints on a planet's atmosphere as it consumes food and expels waste. However, the Cambridge researchers found no evidence of these fingerprints on Venus.

Even if Venus is devoid of life, the researchers say their results, reported in the journal Nature Communications, could be useful for studying the atmospheres of similar planets throughout the galaxy, and the eventual detection of life outside our Solar System.

"We've spent the past two years trying to explain the weird sulphur chemistry we see in the clouds of Venus," said co-author Dr Paul Rimmer from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences. "Life is pretty good at weird chemistry, so we've been studying whether there's a way to make life a potential explanation for what we see."

To arrive at their conclusion, researchers used atmospheric and biochemical models to study chemical reactions that are expected to occur on Venus.

"We looked at the sulphur-based 'food' available in the Venusian atmosphere -- it's not anything you or I would want to eat, but it is the main available energy source," said Sean Jordan from Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, the paper's first author. "If that food is being consumed by life, we should see evidence of that through specific chemicals being lost and gained in the atmosphere."

"If life is present, it must be affecting the atmospheric chemistry," said co-author Dr Oliver Shorttle from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences and Institute of Astronomy. "Could life be the reason that SO2 levels on Venus get reduced so much?"

"We wanted life to be a potential explanation, but when we ran the models, it isn't a viable solution. But if life isn't responsible for what we see on Venus, it's still a problem to be solved -- there's lots of strange chemistry to follow up on," said Sean Jordan

(With inputs from agencies)

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Search for extraterrestrial life is a fascinating endevour. While popular image of aliens has them having tentacles and big eyes etc, even microbes on another planet can be called aliens.

Search for extraterrestrial life is a fascinating endevour. While popular image of aliens has them having tentacles and big eyes etc, even microbes on another planet can be called aliens. While our search for aliens has us focussing our lenses towards distant reaches of space, we are keen on finding proof in our Solar System as well. Mars and Venus, our neighbours are among prime candidates in this regard. But now, Cambridege University researchers have said that unusal behaviour of Sulphur in the atmosphere of Venus can't beb explained by 'aerial' form of extra-terrestrial life. There has been a speculation for decades that Veuns harbours microbial life among its Sulphurous clouds. Any life form in sufficient abundance is expected to leave chemical fingerprints on a planet's atmosphere as it consumes food and expels waste. However, the Cambridge researchers found no evidence of these fingerprints on Venus. Even if Venus is devoid of life, the researchers say their results, reported in the journal Nature Communications, could be useful for studying the atmospheres of similar planets throughout the galaxy, and the eventual detection of life outside our Solar System. "We've spent the past two years trying to explain the weird sulphur chemistry we see in the clouds of Venus," said co-author Dr Paul Rimmer from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences. "Life is pretty good at weird chemistry, so we've been studying whether there's a way to make life a potential explanation for what we see." To arrive at their conclusion, researchers used atmospheric and biochemical models to study chemical reactions that are expected to occur on Venus. "We looked at the sulphur-based 'food' available in the Venusian atmosphere -- it's not anything you or I would want to eat, but it is the main available energy source," said Sean Jordan from Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, the paper's first author. "If that food is being consumed by life, we should see evidence of that through specific chemicals being lost and gained in the atmosphere." "If life is present, it must be affecting the atmospheric chemistry," said co-author Dr Oliver Shorttle from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences and Institute of Astronomy. "Could life be the reason that SO2 levels on Venus get reduced so much?" "We wanted life to be a potential explanation, but when we ran the models, it isn't a viable solution. But if life isn't responsible for what we see on Venus, it's still a problem to be solved -- there's lots of strange chemistry to follow up on," said Sean Jordan (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Is there life on Venus? Here's what Cambridge University researchers say

Search for alien life has been favourite pastime as well as matter of scientific interest for mankind. Earth is teeming with life. Most part of the blue planet is covered by water. While searching for life on other planets, we often search for signs of presence of water. Because wherever there is water, there's likely to be life.

Europa, the satellite of planet Jupiter and Enceladus, the satellite of Saturn are covered in ice. The very thick icy sheet goes several kilometres deep from the surface. Scientists think that there are enormous oceans of liquid water under this ice coating on these satellites. At least till now, we have only been able to make conjectures&nbsp;about strange sea creatures swimming in these uncharted oceans.

But now a concept design has proposed a novel solution to the problem of ice sheets several kilometres thick. Ethan Schaler, a robotics mechanical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has put forth a new idea. Schaler’s Sensing With Independent Micro-Swimmers (SWIM) concept was awarded $600,000 from NASA.

Schaler's concept involves sending dozens of mobile phone-sized swimming probe to Europa and releasing them in the water below the ice. But how can we penetrate kilometres of ice to reach the liquid ocean? By a cryobot.

This cryobot would have narrow ice-melting probes in which the swimming probes with be place. The narrow probe will melt ice and reach the ocean. And this will be the time to release swimming probes and gather data.

If the conept design gets developed into something concrete, then these probes may actually get sent to Europa. NASA is planning to make it happen by 2030.

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Search for alien life has been favourite pastime as well as matter of scientific interest for mankind. Earth is teeming with life. Most part of the blue planet is covered by water.

Search for alien life has been favourite pastime as well as matter of scientific interest for mankind. Earth is teeming with life. Most part of the blue planet is covered by water. While searching for life on other planets, we often search for signs of presence of water. Because wherever there is water, there's likely to be life. Europa, the satellite of planet Jupiter and Enceladus, the satellite of Saturn are covered in ice. The very thick icy sheet goes several kilometres deep from the surface. Scientists think that there are enormous oceans of liquid water under this ice coating on these satellites. At least till now, we have only been able to make conjectures about strange sea creatures swimming in these uncharted oceans. But now a concept design has proposed a novel solution to the problem of ice sheets several kilometres thick. Ethan Schaler, a robotics mechanical engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has put forth a new idea. Schaler’s Sensing With Independent Micro-Swimmers (SWIM) concept was awarded $600,000 from NASA. Schaler's concept involves sending dozens of mobile phone-sized swimming probe to Europa and releasing them in the water below the ice. But how can we penetrate kilometres of ice to reach the liquid ocean? By a cryobot. This cryobot would have narrow ice-melting probes in which the swimming probes with be place. The narrow probe will melt ice and reach the ocean. And this will be the time to release swimming probes and gather data. If the conept design gets developed into something concrete, then these probes may actually get sent to Europa. NASA is planning to make it happen by 2030. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

NASA may make swimming robots to find aliens

A spiralling light formation in the night sky left people stunned in New Zealand and once again sparked rumours and discussions about aliens. In the recent past, a number of places around the world have experienced odd happenings in the sky and the strange light in New Zealand is the latest addition to that list. The Guardian reported that according to Alasdair Burns, a stargazing guide on Stewart Island/Rakiura, there was a massive blue spiral while was clearly visible in the darkness and it was experienced by people in different parts of the island. “It looked like an enormous spiral galaxy, just hanging there in the sky, and slowly just drifting across,” Burns told The Guardian.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/zoom-in-more-it-spells-god-nasa-spots-peculiar-cloud-hovering-over-caspian-sea-489838" hreflang="en">'Zoom in more it spells GOD': NASA spots peculiar cloud hovering over Caspian Sea</a>

The phenomenon quickly became a topic of discussion online in the various astronomy groups and soon enough, theories started floating about possible UFOs and alien invasions.

“Premonition from our orbital black hole,” said one stargazer.

“Aliens at it again,” commented another user on Facebook.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/anonymous-bidder-pays-19-million-for-a-private-lunch-with-american-business-magnate-warren-buffet-489793" hreflang="en">Anonymous bidder pays $19 million for a private lunch with American business magnate Warren Buffet</a>

However, Prof Richard Easther, a physicist at Auckland University had a far simpler answer. According to The Guardian, he believed that the spiral was created by a rocket.

“When the propellant is ejected out the back, you have what’s essentially water and carbon dioxide – that briefly forms a cloud in space that’s illuminated by the sun. The geometry of the satellite’s orbit and also the way that we’re sitting relative to the sun – that combination of things was just right to produce these completely wacky looking clouds that were visible from the South Island.”

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A spiralling light formation in the night sky left people stunned in New Zealand and once again sparked rumours and discussions about aliens. In the recent past, a number of places around the world have experienced odd happenings in the sky and the strange light in New Zealand is the latest addition to that list.

A spiralling light formation in the night sky left people stunned in New Zealand and once again sparked rumours and discussions about aliens. In the recent past, a number of places around the world have experienced odd happenings in the sky and the strange light in New Zealand is the latest addition to that list. The Guardian reported that according to Alasdair Burns, a stargazing guide on Stewart Island/Rakiura, there was a massive blue spiral while was clearly visible in the darkness and it was experienced by people in different parts of the island. “It looked like an enormous spiral galaxy, just hanging there in the sky, and slowly just drifting across,” Burns told The Guardian. Also read | 'Zoom in more it spells GOD': NASA spots peculiar cloud hovering over Caspian Sea The phenomenon quickly became a topic of discussion online in the various astronomy groups and soon enough, theories started floating about possible UFOs and alien invasions. “Premonition from our orbital black hole,” said one stargazer. “Aliens at it again,” commented another user on Facebook. Also read | Anonymous bidder pays $19 million for a private lunch with American business magnate Warren Buffet However, Prof Richard Easther, a physicist at Auckland University had a far simpler answer. According to The Guardian, he believed that the spiral was created by a rocket. “When the propellant is ejected out the back, you have what’s essentially water and carbon dioxide – that briefly forms a cloud in space that’s illuminated by the sun. The geometry of the satellite’s orbit and also the way that we’re sitting relative to the sun – that combination of things was just right to produce these completely wacky looking clouds that were visible from the South Island.” WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Mysterious blue light in New Zealand night sky sparks alien and UFO rumours

Have aliens finally contacted us? Yes, if a Chinese claim is to be believed. China's state-backed Science and Technology Daily made the claim and then deleted it, reported Bloomberg. As per the report, the signals were detected by Sky Eye, largest radio telescope in the world. Ther news in Science and Technology Daily reportedly cited Zhang Tonjie, a scientist, who said that the signal was different from the previous ones and the team was analysing it.&nbsp;

Zhang Tonjie is a chief scientist of an extraterrestrial civilization search team co-founded by Beijing Normal University, the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of California, Berkeley.

It is not yet clear why the report was published and then deleted. The daily is official newspaper of China's China’s science and technology ministry. The news started avid discussion on the web nonetheless. The topic was discussed on Weibo, the Chinese Twitter.

Sky Eye, the largest radio telescope on Earth is located in China's Guizhou province. It has a diameter 500 metres (1,640 feet). It officially launched a search for extraterrestrial life in September 2020.

The report said that the team detected two suspicious signals, one in 2020 and the other in 2022.

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Have aliens finally contacted us? Yes, if a Chinese claim is to be believed. China's state-backed Science and Technology Daily made the claim and then deleted it, reported Bloomberg.

Have aliens finally contacted us? Yes, if a Chinese claim is to be believed. China's state-backed Science and Technology Daily made the claim and then deleted it, reported Bloomberg. As per the report, the signals were detected by Sky Eye, largest radio telescope in the world. Ther news in Science and Technology Daily reportedly cited Zhang Tonjie, a scientist, who said that the signal was different from the previous ones and the team was analysing it. Zhang Tonjie is a chief scientist of an extraterrestrial civilization search team co-founded by Beijing Normal University, the National Astronomical Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of California, Berkeley. It is not yet clear why the report was published and then deleted. The daily is official newspaper of China's China’s science and technology ministry. The news started avid discussion on the web nonetheless. The topic was discussed on Weibo, the Chinese Twitter. Sky Eye, the largest radio telescope on Earth is located in China's Guizhou province. It has a diameter 500 metres (1,640 feet). It officially launched a search for extraterrestrial life in September 2020. The report said that the team detected two suspicious signals, one in 2020 and the other in 2022. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

China says it has received signals from aliens: Report

When we say 'eye in the sky', we think of satellites. But what if someone is looking at us from another planet? Mars has been favourite planet of humanity for search for extraterrestrial life. Movies and books are full of Martians attacking the Earth. But a new image clicked by European Space Agency is sure to scare. Check out this image.

Is an alien looking at us from Mars?

The residents of Pietermaritzburg in South Africa were left confused on Wednesday as they saw a long green light in the sky leading to multiple theories on the social media. According to News24, there were reports of a “green asteroid-looking” object falling through the sky around 8 am on Wednesday and the residents took to Facebook to confirm the sightings. Withing a few hours, there were multiple users who reported similar sightings and some of them went on to suggest a “possible alien invasion”. The green light along with the asteroid-like object flashed in the sky for a brief period of time and similar sightings were reported from people in Durban and Johannesburg.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-defence-secretary-lloyd-austin-slams-chinas-destabilising-military-activity-near-taiwan-487110" hreflang="en">US Defence Secy slams China's 'destabilising' military activity near Taiwan</a>

“It was a really strange sighting. I saw this object with lights that were flashing. I told my sister about it and she thought I was crazy. I don’t really believe in aliens or UFOs, but who knows if it is true,” said Maryna Buys on her Facebook account according to the report on News24.

The report also said that Kate Da Cunha Rosario was one of the early users to enquire about the event on Facebook as he posted on the Voices of Pietermaritzburg group - “a bright green asteroid-looking thing flying through the sky at 8:05 am in the Scottsville area”.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/human-like-robots-in-making-slightly-sweaty-robotic-finger-with-living-skin-developed-by-experts-in-japan-486915" hreflang="en">'Slightly sweaty' robotic finger with living skin developed by experts in Japan</a>

The first UFO sighting in South Africa dates back to the 1960s with a number of similar reports coming over the years.

The internet was soon filled with numerous theories with a user called Elna Botha suggesting that it can be an alien invasion. “They have arrived,” she wrote on her Facebook account.

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The residents of Pietermaritzburg in South Africa were left confused on Wednesday as they saw a long green light in the sky leading to multiple theories on the social media.

The residents of Pietermaritzburg in South Africa were left confused on Wednesday as they saw a long green light in the sky leading to multiple theories on the social media. According to News24, there were reports of a “green asteroid-looking” object falling through the sky around 8 am on Wednesday and the residents took to Facebook to confirm the sightings. Withing a few hours, there were multiple users who reported similar sightings and some of them went on to suggest a “possible alien invasion”. The green light along with the asteroid-like object flashed in the sky for a brief period of time and similar sightings were reported from people in Durban and Johannesburg. Also read | US Defence Secy slams China's 'destabilising' military activity near Taiwan “It was a really strange sighting. I saw this object with lights that were flashing. I told my sister about it and she thought I was crazy. I don’t really believe in aliens or UFOs, but who knows if it is true,” said Maryna Buys on her Facebook account according to the report on News24. The report also said that Kate Da Cunha Rosario was one of the early users to enquire about the event on Facebook as he posted on the Voices of Pietermaritzburg group - “a bright green asteroid-looking thing flying through the sky at 8:05 am in the Scottsville area”. Also read | 'Slightly sweaty' robotic finger with living skin developed by experts in Japan The first UFO sighting in South Africa dates back to the 1960s with a number of similar reports coming over the years. The internet was soon filled with numerous theories with a user called Elna Botha suggesting that it can be an alien invasion. “They have arrived,” she wrote on her Facebook account. WATCH WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Can it be aliens? Mysterious green light in Pietermaritzburg sky sparks rumours

People are always fascinated about aliens & UFOs. Now NASA has announced that it is launching study of UFOs. This will be push towards high-risk, high-impact science. An independent team will be set up on how much info is available in public.

NASA forms team to study unexplained UFO sightings

Aliens may be using rogue planets as spacecraft, a study has found. The research has been published in the International Journal of Astrobiology. Irina Romanovskaya, professor, physics and astronomy, Houston Community College, who is the author of the study, has told Motherboard that the rogue planets, who have either been knocked out of their original system by some gravitational event or formed externally, seems to have been used as spaceship as they are hard to detect in the interstellar dark between systems. &nbsp;&nbsp;

There may also be a substantial number of such rogue planets in the universe. "This increases the chance that some advanced extraterrestrial civilisations, if they exist, might hitch a ride on free-floating planets. Which is why I call such hypothetical civilisations Cosmic Hitchhikers," Romanovskaya said. &nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-watch-netizens-spot-ufo-at-queen%E2%80%99s-platinum-jubilee-celebrations-find-out-truth-485501" hreflang="en">Watch: Netizens spot 'UFO' at Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Find out truth</a>

These nomad worlds may be habitable even as they don’t draw energy from a star. It can happen if they have subsurface oceans, atmospheres with hydrogen to preserve it and residual core heat, which can provide energy for some period of time. &nbsp;

As per Romanovskaya's hypothesis, rogue planets have advantages over spaceships as they have own resources and habitats and don’t need artificial gravity. They could also prove to be an apt escape for the inhabitants of an aging system. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Decoding UFOs: What do we know about ‘flying saucers’?

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So, it's just a matter of time when such a rogue planet comes close to a system with a habitable world, like Earth, and then aliens use a regular spacecraft to jump over to our planet. Romanovskaya said, "There are no traffic lights in the galaxy. If the solar system happens to be in the way of some free-floating planet, the planet will not stop at the red light. It will fly right through the solar system." &nbsp;&nbsp;

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Aliens may be using rogue planets as spacecraft, a study has found. The research has been published in the International Journal of Astrobiology. Irina Romanovskaya, professor, physics and astronomy, Houston Community College, who is the author of the study, has told Motherboard that the rogue planets, who have either been knocked out of their original system by some gravitational event or formed externally, seems to have been used as spaceship as they are hard to detect in the interstellar dark between systems.

Aliens may be using rogue planets as spacecraft, a study has found. The research has been published in the International Journal of Astrobiology. Irina Romanovskaya, professor, physics and astronomy, Houston Community College, who is the author of the study, has told Motherboard that the rogue planets, who have either been knocked out of their original system by some gravitational event or formed externally, seems to have been used as spaceship as they are hard to detect in the interstellar dark between systems. There may also be a substantial number of such rogue planets in the universe. "This increases the chance that some advanced extraterrestrial civilisations, if they exist, might hitch a ride on free-floating planets. Which is why I call such hypothetical civilisations Cosmic Hitchhikers," Romanovskaya said. Also Read | Watch: Netizens spot 'UFO' at Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Find out truth These nomad worlds may be habitable even as they don’t draw energy from a star. It can happen if they have subsurface oceans, atmospheres with hydrogen to preserve it and residual core heat, which can provide energy for some period of time. As per Romanovskaya's hypothesis, rogue planets have advantages over spaceships as they have own resources and habitats and don’t need artificial gravity. They could also prove to be an apt escape for the inhabitants of an aging system. Watch: Decoding UFOs: What do we know about ‘flying saucers’? So, it's just a matter of time when such a rogue planet comes close to a system with a habitable world, like Earth, and then aliens use a regular spacecraft to jump over to our planet. Romanovskaya said, "There are no traffic lights in the galaxy. If the solar system happens to be in the way of some free-floating planet, the planet will not stop at the red light. It will fly right through the solar system." Watch WION's live TV here: (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. ×

Aliens may be using free-floating rogue planets as spacecrafts in universe, says study

A researcher has claimed that there may be four extraterrestrial civilisations in the Milky Way that could attack or invade the planet Earth. As reported by Vice News, Alberto Caballero, who is a PhD student at the University of Vigo in Spain, estimated the prevalence of "malicious extraterrestrial" civilisations.&nbsp;

In the paper which is titled "Estimating the Prevalence of Malicious Extraterrestrial Civilizations," Caballero has attempted to provide an estimation of the prevalence of hostile extraterrestrial civilisations. Although, he admitted that there are "some limitations".&nbsp;

Caballero noted that the estimation is based on the "world's history of invasions in the last century, military capabilities of the countries involved, and the global growth rate of energy consumption".&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-detect-new-type-of-extremely-reactive-substance-in-the-earths-atmosphere-482942">Scientists detect new type of extremely reactive substance in the Earth's atmosphere</a>

In the non-peer-reviewed research published in Arxiv journal, Caballero stated that the upper limits of standard deviations are used to obtain the "estimated probability of extraterrestrial invasion" by a civilisation whose planet we send a message to.&nbsp;

He further stated that results show that such probability is "two orders of magnitude lower than the impact probability of a planet-killer asteroid".&nbsp;

Scientists are planning to send a message (METI, or "Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence") to the so-called alien civilisation. Although there is no definitive proof but the US government is serious about the increasing signs of extraterrestrial life.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/new-study-claims-earths-iron-rich-core-may-be-rusting-483310">New study claims Earth’s iron-rich core may be rusting</a>

However, as a warning to the scientists, Caballero in his paper stated that the findings could serve as a starting point for an international debate about sending the first serious interstellar radio messages to nearby potentially habitable planets.&nbsp;

"I did the paper-based only on life as we know it. We don't know the mind of extraterrestrials. An extraterrestrial civilization may have a brain with a different chemical composition and they might not have empathy or they might have more psychopathological behaviours," Caballero told Vice.&nbsp;

"I found this way to do [the study], which has limitations because we don't know the mind of what aliens would be like," he added.&nbsp;

In his paper, he wrote that such an event takes place once every 100 million years. Caballero researched human "invasions" of other countries over the last 50 years as he mentioned that he did the paper-based "only on life as we know it".&nbsp;

The report noted that he applied the data he gathered to the number of known "exoplanets" in our galaxy. Claudio Maccone, an Italian scientist, estimated that there are around 15,785 exoplanets. After analysing the data, Caballero estimated that there could be four "malicious" alien civilisations.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;Boeing Starliner capsule returns to Earth from ISS

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Caballero also authored a study in the International Journal of Astrobiology earlier this month. He claimed that he pinpointed the "WoW! Signal" that was first detected by a radio telescope in 1977.&nbsp;

It was a strange minute-long burst of radio energy. According to Caballero, the signal might have originated from a Sun-like star 1,800 lightyears from the Earth.&nbsp;

As per Vice, the signal was first received by the Big Ear telescope at Ohio State University.&nbsp;

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A researcher has claimed that there may be four extraterrestrial civilisations in the Milky Way that could attack or invade the planet Earth. As reported by Vice News, Alberto Caballero, who is a PhD student at the University of Vigo in Spain, estimated the prevalence of "malicious extraterrestrial" civilisations.

A researcher has claimed that there may be four extraterrestrial civilisations in the Milky Way that could attack or invade the planet Earth. As reported by Vice News, Alberto Caballero, who is a PhD student at the University of Vigo in Spain, estimated the prevalence of "malicious extraterrestrial" civilisations. In the paper which is titled "Estimating the Prevalence of Malicious Extraterrestrial Civilizations," Caballero has attempted to provide an estimation of the prevalence of hostile extraterrestrial civilisations. Although, he admitted that there are "some limitations". Caballero noted that the estimation is based on the "world's history of invasions in the last century, military capabilities of the countries involved, and the global growth rate of energy consumption". ALSO READ | Scientists detect new type of extremely reactive substance in the Earth's atmosphere In the non-peer-reviewed research published in Arxiv journal, Caballero stated that the upper limits of standard deviations are used to obtain the "estimated probability of extraterrestrial invasion" by a civilisation whose planet we send a message to. He further stated that results show that such probability is "two orders of magnitude lower than the impact probability of a planet-killer asteroid". Scientists are planning to send a message (METI, or "Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence") to the so-called alien civilisation. Although there is no definitive proof but the US government is serious about the increasing signs of extraterrestrial life. ALSO READ | New study claims Earth’s iron-rich core may be rusting However, as a warning to the scientists, Caballero in his paper stated that the findings could serve as a starting point for an international debate about sending the first serious interstellar radio messages to nearby potentially habitable planets. "I did the paper-based only on life as we know it. We don't know the mind of extraterrestrials. An extraterrestrial civilization may have a brain with a different chemical composition and they might not have empathy or they might have more psychopathological behaviours," Caballero told Vice. "I found this way to do [the study], which has limitations because we don't know the mind of what aliens would be like," he added. In his paper, he wrote that such an event takes place once every 100 million years. Caballero researched human "invasions" of other countries over the last 50 years as he mentioned that he did the paper-based "only on life as we know it". The report noted that he applied the data he gathered to the number of known "exoplanets" in our galaxy. Claudio Maccone, an Italian scientist, estimated that there are around 15,785 exoplanets. After analysing the data, Caballero estimated that there could be four "malicious" alien civilisations. WATCH | Boeing Starliner capsule returns to Earth from ISS × Caballero also authored a study in the International Journal of Astrobiology earlier this month. He claimed that he pinpointed the "WoW! Signal" that was first detected by a radio telescope in 1977. It was a strange minute-long burst of radio energy. According to Caballero, the signal might have originated from a Sun-like star 1,800 lightyears from the Earth. As per Vice, the signal was first received by the Big Ear telescope at Ohio State University. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Four 'malicious' alien civilisations could attack or invade Earth: Researcher

In the hope of grabbing the attention of aliens,&nbsp; scientists are planning to send&nbsp;illustrations of human body parts&nbsp;to space.

According to Soch Fact Check,&nbsp;NASA is not working on a broadcast to launch images of naked humans into space. There have been misleading reports earlier which suggested that the experiment is being conducted at the behest of the US space agency.

Moreover, this experiment is not being funded by NASA. It appears to&nbsp;have stemmed from a study recently published in arXiv — an online database of non-peer-reviewed publications — about a hypothetical means to send a message to potential alien lifeforms somewhere in the Milky Way galaxy.&nbsp;

The proposal, "A Beacon in the Galaxy" (BITG), was presented by 11 researchers from a range of institutions, including NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.&nbsp;

The scientists believe that a proper contact can be established with another life form, which has been tried and failed for 150 years, by sending a pixelated illustration of a naked woman and man waving “hello”, in an attempt to look inviting.

Apart from the pixelated illustrations, the scientists have also included a portrayal of gravity and DNA.

The scientists believe a binary-coded message is most likely to be understood by aliens.

“Though the concept of mathematics in human terms is potentially unrecognizable to extra-terrestrial intelligence, binary is likely universal across all intelligence,” the scientists said in their official project document.

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“Binary is the simplest form of mathematics as it involves only two opposing states: zero and one, yes or no, black or white, mass or empty space.”

They added, “The proposed message includes basic mathematical and physical concepts to establish a universal means of communication followed by information on the biochemical composition of life on Earth, the Solar System’s time-stamped position in the Milky Way relative to known globular clusters, as well as digitized depictions of the Solar System, and Earth’s surface.

Notably, this isn’t the first that scientists have tried to beam naked pictures of humans into space.

The Pioneer 10 in 1972, and the Pioneer 11 in 1973—missions both contained illustrations of naked humans attached to their antennas, ready and waiting for any aliens that may like a little peep.

Note: The original version of the story 'NASA will launch naked pictures of humans to space to attract aliens'&nbsp;have been amended to rectify an erroneous impression which suggested that the US space agency was sending images of human body parts. Necessary changes have now been made to reflect the updated information.

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Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.&nbsp;

In the hope of grabbing the attention of aliens, scientists are planning to send illustrations of human body parts to space. According to Soch Fact Check, NASA is not working on a broadcast to launch images of naked humans into space.

In the hope of grabbing the attention of aliens, scientists are planning to send illustrations of human body parts to space. According to Soch Fact Check, NASA is not working on a broadcast to launch images of naked humans into space. There have been misleading reports earlier which suggested that the experiment is being conducted at the behest of the US space agency. Moreover, this experiment is not being funded by NASA. It appears to have stemmed from a study recently published in arXiv — an online database of non-peer-reviewed publications — about a hypothetical means to send a message to potential alien lifeforms somewhere in the Milky Way galaxy. The proposal, "A Beacon in the Galaxy" (BITG), was presented by 11 researchers from a range of institutions, including NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The scientists believe that a proper contact can be established with another life form, which has been tried and failed for 150 years, by sending a pixelated illustration of a naked woman and man waving “hello”, in an attempt to look inviting. Apart from the pixelated illustrations, the scientists have also included a portrayal of gravity and DNA. The scientists believe a binary-coded message is most likely to be understood by aliens. “Though the concept of mathematics in human terms is potentially unrecognizable to extra-terrestrial intelligence, binary is likely universal across all intelligence,” the scientists said in their official project document. “Binary is the simplest form of mathematics as it involves only two opposing states: zero and one, yes or no, black or white, mass or empty space.” They added, “The proposed message includes basic mathematical and physical concepts to establish a universal means of communication followed by information on the biochemical composition of life on Earth, the Solar System’s time-stamped position in the Milky Way relative to known globular clusters, as well as digitized depictions of the Solar System, and Earth’s surface. Notably, this isn’t the first that scientists have tried to beam naked pictures of humans into space. The Pioneer 10 in 1972, and the Pioneer 11 in 1973—missions both contained illustrations of naked humans attached to their antennas, ready and waiting for any aliens that may like a little peep. Note: The original version of the story 'NASA will launch naked pictures of humans to space to attract aliens' have been amended to rectify an erroneous impression which suggested that the US space agency was sending images of human body parts. Necessary changes have now been made to reflect the updated information. WATCH WION LIVE Decode the geostrategy, diplomacy, and ideologies of the world’s unending wars. Catch our special series ‘World at War’ every Saturday at 8:30 PM IST and Sunday at 10:30 PM IST only on WION.

Scientists to send illustrations of human body parts to space in hope of attracting aliens

According to the research done by the University of Copenhagen, planets which are orbiting binary stars could be possible homes for aliens. The study noted that planetary systems around binary stars may be very different from those around single stars.

According to the research done by the University of Copenhagen, planets which are orbiting binary stars could be possible homes for aliens. The study noted that planetary systems around binary stars may be very different from those around single stars. It means such planets can be new targets in the search for extraterrestrial life forms. For the unversed, a binary star is a system of two stars that are gravitationally bound to and in orbit around each other. Experts have found that binary stars are seen as a single object to the naked eye, which is not the case. The study mentioned that nearly half of Sun-size stars are binary. Possibilities and scope of extraterrestrial life intrigue people on Earth. Astronomers are trying to gather evidence to understand whether or not life may occur outside Earth and which did not originate on Earth. A study published on May 23 mentioned that a new result from the research indicates that planetary systems are formed in a very different way around binary stars than around single stars such as the Sun. ALSO READ | 'Round and round we go': NASA shares breathtaking image of Whirlpool Galaxy WATCH | Boeing's space mission: Cargo capsule reaches International Space Station × Professor Jes Kristian Jørgensen of Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen is heading the project. As quoted by media reports, he said: "The result is exciting since the search for extraterrestrial life will be equipped with several new, extremely powerful instruments within the coming years." "This enhances the significance of understanding how planets are formed around different types of stars. Such results may pinpoint places which would be especially interesting to probe for the existence of life," Jørgensen added. The results from the project are published in the journal Nature. The project also has the participation of astronomers from Taiwan and the USA. Observations of a young binary star about 1,000 lightyears from Earth were made by the ALMA telescopes in Chile which led to the stunning discovery. The binary star, NGC 1333-IRAS2A, is surrounded by a disc of gas and dust. The study noted that the researchers created computer simulations going backwards and forwards in time. ALSO READ | Key to study ancient life: Scientists find potentially alive 830-million-year-old microorganisms WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Which planets could be 'possible homes for alien life'? Here's what research says

The US Congress on Wednesday held its much-anticipated public hearing on aliens and the UFOs for the first time in 50 years on Wednesday, where a few interesting facts came to the fore while several myths were busted.

The House Intelligence Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Counterproliferation held the question-and-answer session. It was hosted by two Pentagon officials to discuss the possibilities of Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) or as the military terms UFOs.

“UAPs are unexplained; it’s true,” Indiana representative Andre Carson, the subcommittee’s chair, observed in his opening remarks.

“But they are real. They need to be investigated, and many threats they pose need to be mitigated.”

During the hearing, top Pentagon intelligence official Ronald Moultrie said that through "rigorous" analysis, most, but not all, UAPs were identified.

Here are some of the interesting observations made during the hearing.

1) During the hearing, US Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray admitted that reports of UAPs are “frequent” and have been on the rise for more than a decade.

2) He shared a declassified video of a reflective, unidentified sphere-shaped object that “zooms” passed a pilot flying in a Navy training range, visible only for a few short frames.

3) In a separate clip and a similar photo taken at different times, glowing triangles are seen in the night sky.

4) The officials said that a number of events have defied all attempts at explanation. They added that the sightings recorded by the military include 11 "near-misses" with US aircraft.

5) They found that some UAPs were seen to be moving without any propulsion.

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The clip on UFO sightings is viewable at 43:00 in the video.

6) Bray said the number of reported incidents had grown to approximately 400 since last year. He said the sightings are "frequent and continuing" and often occur in military training areas or other designated airspace.&nbsp;

7) He said that they were unable to determine any signs of extra-terrestrial due to limited or no evidence of wreckage.

8) He also claimed that these sightings were not limited to the US alone. Several countries have had their own reports of UAPs, and some of those countries communicate with Washington about their findings and vice versa.

9) The US military and intelligence are primarily interested in determining whether these aerial objects may be linked to threats against the United States.

10) “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena are a potential national security threat. And they need to be treated that way," said Democratic Representative Andre Carson of Indiana, who was chairing the panel holding the hearing.

(With inputs from agencies)

The US Congress on Wednesday held its much-anticipated public hearing on aliens and the UFOs for the first time in 50 years on Wednesday, where a few interesting facts came to the fore while several myths were busted.

The US Congress on Wednesday held its much-anticipated public hearing on aliens and the UFOs for the first time in 50 years on Wednesday, where a few interesting facts came to the fore while several myths were busted. The House Intelligence Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Counterproliferation held the question-and-answer session. It was hosted by two Pentagon officials to discuss the possibilities of Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAPs) or as the military terms UFOs. “UAPs are unexplained; it’s true,” Indiana representative Andre Carson, the subcommittee’s chair, observed in his opening remarks. “But they are real. They need to be investigated, and many threats they pose need to be mitigated.” During the hearing, top Pentagon intelligence official Ronald Moultrie said that through "rigorous" analysis, most, but not all, UAPs were identified. Here are some of the interesting observations made during the hearing. 1) During the hearing, US Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray admitted that reports of UAPs are “frequent” and have been on the rise for more than a decade. 2) He shared a declassified video of a reflective, unidentified sphere-shaped object that “zooms” passed a pilot flying in a Navy training range, visible only for a few short frames. 3) In a separate clip and a similar photo taken at different times, glowing triangles are seen in the night sky. 4) The officials said that a number of events have defied all attempts at explanation. They added that the sightings recorded by the military include 11 "near-misses" with US aircraft. 5) They found that some UAPs were seen to be moving without any propulsion. × The clip on UFO sightings is viewable at 43:00 in the video. 6) Bray said the number of reported incidents had grown to approximately 400 since last year. He said the sightings are "frequent and continuing" and often occur in military training areas or other designated airspace. 7) He said that they were unable to determine any signs of extra-terrestrial due to limited or no evidence of wreckage. 8) He also claimed that these sightings were not limited to the US alone. Several countries have had their own reports of UAPs, and some of those countries communicate with Washington about their findings and vice versa. 9) The US military and intelligence are primarily interested in determining whether these aerial objects may be linked to threats against the United States. 10) “Unidentified Aerial Phenomena are a potential national security threat. And they need to be treated that way," said Democratic Representative Andre Carson of Indiana, who was chairing the panel holding the hearing. (With inputs from agencies)

UFOs and aliens: US military shares videos at US Congress hearing. Here’s what you should know

For several decades, the existence of UFOs has caused a lot of debate around the globe. While the governments over the world have remained tight-lipped about its presence, the idea that there might be extra-terrestrial creatures living in outer space was never shot down entirely.

To uncover this phenomenon, the US Congress will be holding an open hearing about the UFOs for the first time in 50 years on the coming Tuesday (May 17).

The hearing will stream live starting at 9 am EST (6.30 pm IST) and it will be followed by a closed, classified hearing on the Pentagon program, known as the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group.

The House Intelligence Committee's subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Counterproliferation hearing will focus on a Pentagon program that was established last year after the US intelligence community released a preliminary assessment on 144 reports of "unidentified aerial phenomena' or UAPs' since 2004, out of which only one had been explained, reports CNN.

The highly-anticipated government report was published in June last year.

The report did not explicitly rule out the possibility of extraterrestrial technology, but it said there could be a variety of potential explanations, including airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, government or industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, or "other" reasons.

Indiana Representative Andre Carson will be chairing the hearing.

Taking to Twitter, Carson said, “Congress hasn't held a public hearing on UFOs in over 50 years.”

“That will change next week when I lead a hearing in House Intelligence on this topic and the national security risk it poses. Americans need to know more about these unexplained occurrences,” he added.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/1995-ufo-spotting-in-us-was-actually-that-of-celestial-bodies-claim-astronomers-478983" hreflang="en">1995 UFO sighting in US was actually of celestial bodies, claim astronomers</a>

The House committee will hear testimony from&nbsp;Scott Bray, the deputy director of naval intelligence, and Ronald Moultrie, under secretary of defence for intelligence and security.

Following the publication of the&nbsp;report&nbsp;last year, Carson said in a TV interview with CBS News that it was “inconclusive”.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-rover-found-alien-doorway-on-mars-find-out-truth-478650">NASA’s rover found alien doorway on Mars? Find out truth</a>

“There have been nearly 150 sightings. Eighty of the sightings [were] detected with some of the best technology the world has ever seen. We can't rule out something that is otherworldly, but that's a very small percentage," he said.

Watch |&nbsp;Decoding UFOs: What do we know about ‘flying saucers’?

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/decoding-ufos-what-do-we-know-about-flying-saucers-476318/embed" width="560"></iframe>

(With inputs from agencies)

For several decades, the existence of UFOs has caused a lot of debate around the globe. While the governments over the world have remained tight-lipped about its presence, the idea that there might be extra-terrestrial creatures living in outer space was never shot down entirely.

For several decades, the existence of UFOs has caused a lot of debate around the globe. While the governments over the world have remained tight-lipped about its presence, the idea that there might be extra-terrestrial creatures living in outer space was never shot down entirely. To uncover this phenomenon, the US Congress will be holding an open hearing about the UFOs for the first time in 50 years on the coming Tuesday (May 17). The hearing will stream live starting at 9 am EST (6.30 pm IST) and it will be followed by a closed, classified hearing on the Pentagon program, known as the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group. The House Intelligence Committee's subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Counterproliferation hearing will focus on a Pentagon program that was established last year after the US intelligence community released a preliminary assessment on 144 reports of "unidentified aerial phenomena' or UAPs' since 2004, out of which only one had been explained, reports CNN. The highly-anticipated government report was published in June last year. The report did not explicitly rule out the possibility of extraterrestrial technology, but it said there could be a variety of potential explanations, including airborne clutter, natural atmospheric phenomena, government or industry developmental programs, foreign adversary systems, or "other" reasons. Indiana Representative Andre Carson will be chairing the hearing. Taking to Twitter, Carson said, “Congress hasn't held a public hearing on UFOs in over 50 years.” “That will change next week when I lead a hearing in House Intelligence on this topic and the national security risk it poses. Americans need to know more about these unexplained occurrences,” he added. Also read | 1995 UFO sighting in US was actually of celestial bodies, claim astronomers The House committee will hear testimony from Scott Bray, the deputy director of naval intelligence, and Ronald Moultrie, under secretary of defence for intelligence and security. Following the publication of the report last year, Carson said in a TV interview with CBS News that it was “inconclusive”. Also read | NASA’s rover found alien doorway on Mars? Find out truth “There have been nearly 150 sightings. Eighty of the sightings [were] detected with some of the best technology the world has ever seen. We can't rule out something that is otherworldly, but that's a very small percentage," he said. Watch | Decoding UFOs: What do we know about ‘flying saucers’? (With inputs from agencies)

Is there a UFO or not? The mystery is set to be revealed at Tuesday’s US Congress hearing

A mysterious strobe of lights that was spotted in 1995 sparking UFO rumours turned to be that of celestial bodies, astronomers have claimed.

The 1995 eerie incident happened when two American pilots flying the American West flight 564 from Dallas, Texas, to Las Vegas claimed to have a close encounter with a 'UFO'.

However, latest reports suggested that it might not be the case as was previously believed.

Captain Eugene Tollefson and his co-pilot John Waller were cruising at an altitude, with a full cabin of passengers, when a flight attendant saw something odd in the sky.

Although there was no interaction between the plane and the UFO, the crew reported seeing strange lights in the distance among clouds, reports Daily Express.

Waller then contacted Air Traffic Control in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to report the object.

A transcript of the exchange can be heard where Waller was saying, “Off to our three o’clock, got some strobes out there. Could you tell us what it is?”

When promoted about what he saw, Waller said: “There’s a strobe and starts… um, going on counter-clockwise, and uh… the length is unbelievable.”

After failing to detect the mysterious aircraft on radar systems, the Air Traffic Control called the pilots back, saying, “Cactus 564… we checked with Cannon and they don't have any, uh,&nbsp;weather balloons or anything up tonight.&nbsp;Nobody upfront knows any idea about that. Do you still see it?”

They replied: “Negative… back where we initially spotted it was between the weather and us and when there's lightning you could see a dark object… and, uh, it was pretty eerie looking.”&nbsp;

The odd incident had astronomers befuddled who then tried to analyse the situation.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/sounds-bizarre-but-this-woman-is-seriously-scared-of-aliens-after-nine-ufo-sightings-474361">Sounds BIZARRE but this woman is seriously scared of aliens after 'nine UFO sightings'</a>

in the 2015 Smithsonian Channel documentary ‘UFOs Declassified: Pilot Eyewitness’.a lead astronomer at the SETI Institute, Seth Shostak, said: "The kinds of things that can fool even, I think, trained pilots are, for example, bright planets."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-rover-found-alien-doorway-on-mars-find-out-truth-478650">NASA’s rover found alien doorway on Mars? Find out truth</a>

He explained that it could have been "celestial bodies" that played a part in America West flight 564's bizarre experience.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Decoding UFOs: What do we know about ‘flying saucers’?

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/decoding-ufos-what-do-we-know-about-flying-saucers-476318/embed" width="560"></iframe>

(With inputs from agencies)

A mysterious strobe of lights that was spotted in 1995 sparking UFO rumours turned to be that of celestial bodies, astronomers have claimed. The 1995 eerie incident happened when two American pilots flying the American West flight 564 from Dallas, Texas, to Las Vegas claimed to have a close encounter with a 'UFO'.

A mysterious strobe of lights that was spotted in 1995 sparking UFO rumours turned to be that of celestial bodies, astronomers have claimed. The 1995 eerie incident happened when two American pilots flying the American West flight 564 from Dallas, Texas, to Las Vegas claimed to have a close encounter with a 'UFO'. However, latest reports suggested that it might not be the case as was previously believed. Captain Eugene Tollefson and his co-pilot John Waller were cruising at an altitude, with a full cabin of passengers, when a flight attendant saw something odd in the sky. Although there was no interaction between the plane and the UFO, the crew reported seeing strange lights in the distance among clouds, reports Daily Express. Waller then contacted Air Traffic Control in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to report the object. A transcript of the exchange can be heard where Waller was saying, “Off to our three o’clock, got some strobes out there. Could you tell us what it is?” When promoted about what he saw, Waller said: “There’s a strobe and starts… um, going on counter-clockwise, and uh… the length is unbelievable.” After failing to detect the mysterious aircraft on radar systems, the Air Traffic Control called the pilots back, saying, “Cactus 564… we checked with Cannon and they don't have any, uh, weather balloons or anything up tonight. Nobody upfront knows any idea about that. Do you still see it?” They replied: “Negative… back where we initially spotted it was between the weather and us and when there's lightning you could see a dark object… and, uh, it was pretty eerie looking.” The odd incident had astronomers befuddled who then tried to analyse the situation. Also read | Sounds BIZARRE but this woman is seriously scared of aliens after 'nine UFO sightings' in the 2015 Smithsonian Channel documentary ‘UFOs Declassified: Pilot Eyewitness’.a lead astronomer at the SETI Institute, Seth Shostak, said: "The kinds of things that can fool even, I think, trained pilots are, for example, bright planets." Also read | NASA’s rover found alien doorway on Mars? Find out truth He explained that it could have been "celestial bodies" that played a part in America West flight 564's bizarre experience. Watch | Decoding UFOs: What do we know about ‘flying saucers’? (With inputs from agencies)

1995 UFO sighting in US was actually of celestial bodies, claim astronomers

Are we alone in this vast cosmos? if not, then how and when would we contact an extraterrestrial being. Given the vastness of the universe, there is little doubt that there are indeed other intelligent life forms out there but perhaps they also might be asking the same questions how to contact other civilizations.

Reaching out to the aliens: Astronomers to relay message in space

In the next few years, humans may have a close encounter with aliens, said former NASA chief scientist recently. &nbsp;

After expressing belief that life exists beyond Earth, the scientist, Jim Green, told BBC's HARDtalk that humans are on the edge of a "really astounding discovery". &nbsp;

Jim, who has worked at the US space agency for 40 years, believes aliens will be discovered within his lifetime. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/big-revelation-chinese-rover-unearths-evidence-of-waters-presence-on-mars-read-details-here-478281" hreflang="en">Big revelation: Chinese rover unearths evidence of water’s presence on Mars. Read details here</a>

Enormous progress has been made and Jim said that more planets within our galaxy are nowadays known to have stars. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Green said, "Many of them are in places much like the Earth where we can receive the light from the Sun and we can have water. And not only in liquid form - frozen form and vapour form. These are important conditions we believe for life. We are finding planets that have conditions where life may arise.” &nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;Decoding UFOs: What do we know about ‘flying saucers’?

<iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/decoding-ufos-what-do-we-know-about-flying-saucers-476318/embed" width="560"></iframe>

“With our next big telescope, we are going to start teasing out what some of these planets look like from their atmospheres. We are going to be comparing these atmospheres to the ones we know. Are they more Venus-like, are they more Mars-like, are they more Earth-like?" he added. &nbsp;&nbsp;

It is a huge step forward and we can see "really astounding discoveries in the next handful of years,"&nbsp;he stated. &nbsp;&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe>

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In the next few years, humans may have a close encounter with aliens, said former NASA chief scientist recently. After expressing belief that life exists beyond Earth, the scientist, Jim Green, told BBC's HARDtalk that humans are on the edge of a "really astounding discovery".

In the next few years, humans may have a close encounter with aliens, said former NASA chief scientist recently. After expressing belief that life exists beyond Earth, the scientist, Jim Green, told BBC's HARDtalk that humans are on the edge of a "really astounding discovery". Jim, who has worked at the US space agency for 40 years, believes aliens will be discovered within his lifetime. Also Read: Big revelation: Chinese rover unearths evidence of water’s presence on Mars. Read details here Enormous progress has been made and Jim said that more planets within our galaxy are nowadays known to have stars. Green said, "Many of them are in places much like the Earth where we can receive the light from the Sun and we can have water. And not only in liquid form - frozen form and vapour form. These are important conditions we believe for life. We are finding planets that have conditions where life may arise.” Watch | Decoding UFOs: What do we know about ‘flying saucers’? “With our next big telescope, we are going to start teasing out what some of these planets look like from their atmospheres. We are going to be comparing these atmospheres to the ones we know. Are they more Venus-like, are they more Mars-like, are they more Earth-like?" he added. It is a huge step forward and we can see "really astounding discoveries in the next handful of years," he stated. WATCH WION LIVE HERE (With inputs from agencies)

Waiting for it? In next few years, humans may have close encounter with aliens, says former NASA scientist

Is there intelligent life out there? Are we alone in this universe? When will we encounter aliens? WION tells you all about intelligent life in this report.

Is there intelligent life out there?

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