Comet could be home to alien life

2015-07-06T20:15:00-04:00

The comet landed on by the spacecraft Philae could well be home to an abundance of alien microbial life, according to leading astronomers. Features of the comet, named 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, such as its organic-rich black crust, are most likely explained by the presence of living organisms beneath an icy surface, the scientists have said.

On the other hand, Stuart Clark refutes the claims made in the linked article. In a response also published to the Guardian, "The vast majority of comet scientists would agree that comet 67P’s surface features are much more easily explained by non-biological mechanisms."

Philae, the spacecraft that landed on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko last November, is not equipped to search for direct evidence of human life. Neither is Rosetta, the European spacecraft currently in orbit around the comet. Calls to equip the spacecrafts were "allegedly laughed out of court," according to the article, which lays out an argument that an unwillingness to intellectually accept the possibility extraterrestrial life inhibits the possibility of finding any.

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Comet could be home to alien life