Astronomers find signs of possible alien life on comet

Astronomers say that there are possible signs of life on Comet 67P, based on data from the European Space Agency's Philae Lander.

The comet has features that indicate it may be home to alien life, according to new findings from astronomers Max Wallis and Chandra Wickramasinghe. They have spotted evidence of an underlying icy structure beneath the comet's black crust, which includes icy seas and craters that contain frozen lakes and organic debris.

Philae successfully landed on the surface of the comet in November 2014, after a 10-year, 4-billion mile journey aboard the Rosetta space probe.

"Five hundred years ago it was a struggle to have people accept that the Earth was not the center of the universe," Wickramasinghe said, according to The Guardian. "After that revolution our thinking has remained Earth-centered in relation to life and biology. It's deeply ingrained in our scientific culture and it will take a lot of evidence to kick it over."

Wallis and Wickramasinghe believe that other comets similar to 67P may also be home to extremophiles, organisms that live in extreme environments defined by high pressures and temperatures. The astronomers also say that comets may have helped to create life on Earth and other planets, according to The Guardian.

The astronomers will present their findings at the Royal Astronomical Society's national meeting in Wales on Monday.