Discovering pulsars
British astronomer Dam Jocelyn Bell Burnell was the first person to discover a pulsar in 1967 when she spotted a radio pulsar.
Since then other types of pulsars that emit X-rays and gamma rays have been observed.
Pulsars are essentially rotating and highly magnetized neutron stars, but when they were first discovered they were thought to have come from aliens.
‘wow!’ Radio signals
In 1977, an astronomer looking for strange life in the sky near Ohio discovered a radio signal so strong that he enthusiastically wrote “Wow!” Next to his data.
In 1977, an astronomer looking for strange life in the sky near Ohio discovered a radio signal so strong that he enthusiastically wrote “Wow!” Next to his data
The 72-second explosion, observed by Dr. Jerry Iman through a radio telescope, came from the arc but did not match any known celestial body.
Since then, conspiracy theorists have claimed that “Wow! Which was 30 times stronger than the background radiation, was a message from extraterrestrial intelligence.
Fossilized Mars microbes
In 1996 NASA and the White House announced that the rock contained traces of Mars insects.
The meteorite, classified as Allen Hills (ALH) 84001, was shattered on frozen waste in Antarctica 13,000 years ago and was recovered in 1984.
Photos were posted showing elongated fragmentary objects that looked strikingly vibrant.
Photographs released showing elongated and segmented objects that looked strikingly vibrant (pictured)
However, the excitement was short-lived. Other scientists have questioned whether the meteorite samples are contaminated.
They also argued that the heat generated when rocks were blown into space may have created metal structures that could be mistaken for minute fossils.
Tabby’s Star Behavior in 2005
The star, known as KIC 8462852, is 1,400 light-years away and has baffled astronomers since its discovery in 2015.
It’s dwindling at a much faster rate than other stars, which some experts have suggested is a sign that aliens are harnessing the star’s energy.
The star, known as KIC 8462852, is 1,400 light-years away and has baffled astronomers since its discovery in 2015 (artist’s impression)
Recent studies have eliminated the possibility of a massive space structure, and instead indicate that a ring of dust could cause strange signals.
Exoplanets in the Goldilocks region in 2015
Astronomers announced in February this year that they had discovered a star system with planets that could support life just 39 light-years away.
Seven Earth-like planets have been discovered orbiting a nearby dwarf star ‘Trappist-1’, and they could all have water on their surface, which is a major component of life.
Three of the planets have such good conditions that scientists say that life has already evolved on them.
The researchers claim that they will know if there is life on any of the planets within a decade, and they said, “This is just the beginning.”
