Aliens have been a staple of science fiction novels and films for years, but space researchers in real life have yet to discover concrete evidence to prove that there really is life outside the Earth. One scientists, however, believes that the answer lies underneath the frozen crust of the recently-surveyed dwarf planet Pluto.
In a recent interview, English physicist and particle physics professor Brian Cox said that he believes the distant planet system Pluto could hold the proof of alien life that has eluded researchers for years.
He pointed out that Pluto's massive glaciers and icy mountains, which were first uncovered through the New Horizons' historic flyby near the dwarf planet, provide hints at possible subterranean seas with water warm enough to allow organic chemistry to flourish.
Cox added that the features observed through the New Horizons probe point to a likely subsurface ocean on the dwarf planet.
"[This] means - if our understanding of life on Earth is even slightly correct - that you could have living things there," Cox said.
Last month, the New Horizons probe traveled past Pluto, reaching within 7,800 miles (12,500km) of its surface.
The spacecraft captured images that gave scientists on Earth with a more detailed look of Pluto than ever before. The New Horizons will continue its survey of the dwarf planet in the next few weeks.
The latest images showed craters and deep scars on the planet's surface, as well as potential mountain ranges and massive plains covered in ice.
Alan Stern, principal investigator of the New Horizons mission, said that these mountains could very well be made of water ice.
As of the moment, researchers have only observed around five percent of the data provided by the New Horizons. Further information is expected to be released by the team this weekend.
It is believed, however, that this information will not be enough to tell confirm whether Pluto does indeed have warm water. To do this, scientists are looking at similar planets that are much closer to the Earth.
Cox said that Pluto is not as accessible to Earth scientists as Europa of Jupiter or even some of the moons of Saturn.
Other possible candidates for exploration that Cox mentioned are Titan, which shows evidence of a possible subsurface ocean, and Enceladus, which is known to throw liquid into space. The noted physicist said that researchers could conduct a flyby to find out if these locations have organics in them.
Despite these possibilities, Cox cautioned people not to get too excited about discovering alien life in our own galaxy.
"What science is telling us now is that complex life is probably rare," Cox said. "We're physically insignificant and yet probably very valuable."
