The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has suggested that alien life could be harbouring on planets that look nothing like earth.
A study report published in the scientific journal Astrobiology revealed that NASA experts in astronomy, biology and geology have re-evaluated the markers indicative of alien life.
Life may be harbouring in purple planets
Until now, researchers in NASA have scanned various planets and stars looking for atmospheric oxygen believing that this element is very much necessary to sustain life. Now, experts in NASA are planning to analyze whether alien life forms thrive in planets with low-oxygen atmospheres which is purple and not green.
"We're moving from theorizing about life elsewhere in our galaxy to a robust science that will eventually give us the answer we seek to that profound question: Are we alone?" said Martin Still, a NASA exoplanet expert, Express.co.uk reports.
NASA scientists are planning to make use of Hubble, Kepler, and James Webb space telescope to carry out this proposed study.
As travelling to these distant planets is practically impossible, NASA is planning to use these telescopes to scan the star to spot the signs of habitable planets. During the upcoming research, NASA researchers will analyze the habitable status of alien worlds by recording the light they reflect.
Researchers now plan to consider a broad range of biosignatures believing that alien life may be harbouring in conditions very different from earth.
"We have to be open to the possibility that life may arise in many contexts in a galaxy with so many diverse worlds—perhaps with purple-coloured life instead of the familiar green-dominated life forms on Earth. That's why we are considering a broad range of biosignatures," said Mary Parenteau, an astrobiologist at NASA.
Are we alone in the universe?
Recently, an International team of researchers had suggested that humans may be alone in the universe. The study report published by these researchers titled, 'Dissolving the Fermi Paradox' revealed that there are thirty percent chances that we are alone in this gigantic ever-expanding cosmos.
During this research, the team led by Anders Sandberg of the Oxford University analyzed Drake's equation and found a possible answer of Fermi Paradox. As per Fermi Paradox, if the universe is so large, then why no extraterrestrial life forms have contacted us yet. After their research, the scientists suggested that the possible alien life in the universe could be less advanced than humans or they simply do not exist.
