Powerful new telescopes could help scientists detect alien life on other planets

Devices like the Webb Space Telescope can analyze the atmospheres of other planets in unprecedented detail, bringing scientists one step closer to understanding existence or not of life beyond the Earth< /p> Thanks to powerful telescopes, scientists will soon be able to tell us if there is life on other planets (

Image: Getty Images)

Since the dawn of mankind, we've looked up at the sky and asked, "Is there anyone out there?"

Well, thanks to powerful telescopes analyzing the atmospheres of other planets, scientists are now much closer to answering that eternal question.

Boffins could soon tell us if there are little green men, flying saucers and life on Mars...or if the evolution of life here was unique.

A top scientist suggests that we may be able to spot any signs of extraterrestrial life in the next few decades using devices like the James Webb Space Telescope, which observe the cosmos in unprecedented detail to better understand the birth and evolution of planets, stars and galaxies.

They allow you to analyze starlight passing through a planet's atmosphere to discover its chemical composition. This can be modified by the presence of certain gases, meaning we can identify patterns known as biosignatures.

The James Webb Space Telescope at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the United States (

Picture:

BBC/NASA/Chris Gunn)

Dr Emily Mitchell of the University of Cambridge believes it is "very likely" that extraterrestrials will be found as life is almost certainly "fairly common" in the universe.

She said: "As we begin to investigate other planets, biosignatures could reveal whether the origin of life on Earth is just a happy accident or part of the fundamental nature of Earth. universe. We only have one biosignature, here on Earth. But if we have, in 10 or 20 years, as my fellow optimists suggest, thousands of biosignatures, we can begin to address this [issue].