'We are alone' in the universe

A LEADING astronomer has said that we are utterly alone in the universe.

The claim that there is no other form of life in the universe is likely to upset pro-alien theorists and those who dream of an encounter with an intelligent being from another planet.

'We have found that most other planets and solar systems are wildly different from our own,' Dr Howard Smith, a senior astrophysicist at Harvard University, said in an interview with The Daily Mail, a British newspaper. Astronomers have so far found a total of 500 planets in distant solar systems and believe billions of others exist.

However, Dr Smith said that many of these planets are either too close to their sun or too far away, which means their surface temperatures would not support life. He further noted that other planets have unusual orbits that cause vast temperature variations making it impossible for water to exist as a liquid.

'There are very few solar systems or planets like ours. It means it is highly unlikely there are any planets with intelligent life close enough for us to make contact,' said Dr Smith.

Stephen Hawking, however, has previously said the fact there are billions of galaxies out there makes it perfectly rational to assume there are other life forms in the universe. And researchers from the University of London recently suggested that aliens could be living on as many as 40,000 other planets.