Expert says scientists will claim to have found alien life 'within a decade'

An astronomer has revealed where he thinks we'll find alien life within a decade.

"The next step in studying them is to analyze their atmospheres for 'biosignature' molecules, which may be a sign of life," NASA explains.

While NASA notes 'unless we get lucky, the search for signs of life could take decades,' Professor Stone has predicted evidence of alien life could be found much sooner.

Stone elaborates: "The claim probably will be offered by astronomers indirectly examining atmospheres around planets in solar systems other than our own.

"In that sense, yes, I predict that we will."

Whether or not these scientific journal claims will actually be proven, is another matter entirely.

However, don't get your hopes up for meeting any alien life forms anytime soon, as the professor notes: "Visiting another planet and actually observing aliens, or their visiting us, remains as a possibility but probably cannot be entertained, as such, at least in my lifetime."

And he doesn't think it's likely that we're living among any aliens already either, Stone reflecting on the 'overwhelming majority of data' which suggests 'every living entity that we so far have discovered on Earth ultimately descended from a common ancestor'.

So, sorry ET fans, it doesn't sound like you'll be helping hide an extraterrestrial lifeform in your home anytime soon.