Is this the key to finally finding life beyond Earth? Planets harbouring aliens ... trends now
View
comments
It's one of the biggest unanswered questions in science – is there life beyond Earth?And if so, where is it hiding?
Now, scientists from Cornell University believe they have taken a major step forward in the search for aliens.
In a new study, they claim that planets harbouring alien life may give off a distinctive purple hue.
'We are just opening our eyes to these fascinating worlds around us,' said Dr Lisa Kaltenegger, co-author of the study.
'Purple bacteria can survive and thrive under such a variety of conditions that it is easy to imagine that on many different worlds, purple may just be the new green.'
Scientists from Cornell University believe they have taken a major step forward in the search for aliens. In a new study, they claim that planets harbouring alien life may give off a distinctive purple hue (artist's impression)
Life on Earth is usually associated with a familiar green hue.
However, life on other planets might look very different.
In their new study, the team set out to understand what alien-hunters should be searching for.
'We need to create a database for signs of life to make sure our telescopes don't miss life if it happens not to look exactly like what we encounter around us every day,' Dr Kaltenegger said.
The researchers catalogued the colours and chemical signatures from a diverse range of
