The discovery of pulsars
British astronomer Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell was the first person to discover a pulsar in 1967 when she saw a radio pulsar.
Since then, other types of pulsars that emit X-rays and gamma rays have been observed.
The pulsars are essentially rotating neutron stars, highly magnetized, but when they were first discovered, it was thought to be from aliens.
‘Wow!’ radio signal
In 1977, an astronomer searching for foreign life in the sky above Ohio saw a radio signal so strong that he enthusiastically wrote “Wow!” along with his data.
In 1977, an astronomer searching for foreign life in the sky above Ohio saw a radio signal so strong that he enthusiastically wrote “Wow!” along with his data
The 72-second explosion, observed by Dr. Jerry Ehman through a radio telescope, came from Sagittarius, but did not match any known celestial objects.
Conspiracy theorists have since argued that “Wow! the signal ”, which was 30 times stronger than the background radiation, was a message from intelligent aliens.
Fossilized Martian microbes
In 1996, NASA and the White House made the explosive announcement that the stone contained traces of Martian bugs.
The meteorite, listed as Allen Hills (ALH) 84001, collapsed on the frozen waste of Antarctica 13,000 years ago and was recovered in 1984.
Photos have been released showing elongated segmented objects that have appeared strikingly realistic.
Photos have been released showing elongated segmented objects that have appeared strikingly realistic (pictured)
However, the enthusiasm did not last long. Other scientists have questioned whether the meteorite samples were contaminated.
They also claimed that the heat generated when the rock was thrown into space could have created mineral structures that could be confused with microfossils.
The behavior of Tabby ‘s star in 2005
The star, also known as KIC 8462852, is located 1,400 light-years away and has puzzled astronomers since it was discovered in 2015.
It is fading at a much faster rate than other stars, which some experts have suggested is a sign of aliens harnessing a star’s energy.
The star, otherwise known as KIC 8462852, is located 1,400 light-years away and has puzzled astronomers since it was discovered in 2015 (artist’s impression)
Recent studies have “ruled out the possibility of a foreign megastructure” and instead suggest that a dust ring could cause strange signals.
Exoplanets in the Goldilocks area in 2015
In February this year, astronomers announced that they had observed a stellar system with planets that could support life just 39 light-years away.
Seven Earth-like planets have been discovered orbiting the nearby dwarf star “Trappist-1” and all of this could have water on their surface, one of the key components of life.
Three of the planets are in such good condition that scientists say life has already evolved on them.
The researchers say they will know whether or not there is life on any of the planets in a decade and said that “this is just the beginning.”