Many astronomers are no longer asking whether there is life elsewhere in the Universe.
The question on their minds is instead: when will we find it?
Many are optimistic of detecting life signs on a faraway world within our lifetimes – possibly in the next few years.
And one scientist, leading a mission to Jupiter, goes as far as saying it would be “surprising” if there was no life on one of the planet’s icy moons.
Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) recently detected tantalising hints at life on a planet outside our Solar System – and it has many more worlds in its sights.
Numerous missions that are either under way or about to begin mark a new space race for the biggest scientific discovery of all time.
“We live in an infinite Universe, with infinite stars and planets. And it’s been obvious to many of us that we can’t be the only intelligent life out there,” says Prof Catherine Heymans, Scotland’s Astronomer Royal.
“We now have the technology and the capability to answer the question of whether we are alone in the cosmos.”
Hellbound and Down 