A new study claims that alien civilizations are only waiting for the right time to visit Earth and make their presence known. According to the study, extraterrestrial beings might be waiting for Earth to get closer to their planet. The new study is somewhat based on the Fermi Paradox developed by physicist Enrico Fermi.
Aliens and the Fermi Paradox
According to the paradox, given the number of stars and planets in the entire universe, it is highly possible that there is at least another world that hosts an entire civilization of extraterrestrial beings. However, if this is true, then humans should have already come across evidence of the existence of aliens.
Using the concept of the Fermi Paradox, a team of researchers proposed that there could be planets within the universe that are teeming with intelligent life. Published in the Astrophysical Journal, the study said one possible reason as to why these aliens have not yet visited Earth is due to the vast distances between planets from different star systems.
Visiting Earth at the right time
As explained by the researchers, since objects such as stars and planets and even entire systems in the galaxy move constantly, it is possible that the aliens are waiting for the right moment to visit Earth. In other words, the aliens might be waiting for Earth or the Solar System to get closer to their home planet before establishing contact.
"If long enough is a billion years, well then that's one solution to the Fermi paradox," lead researcher Jonathan Carroll-Nellenback told Business Insider. "Habitable worlds are so rare that you have to wait longer than any civilization is expected to last before another one comes in range. Every system could be habitable and could be settled, but they wouldn't visit us because they're not close enough."
