Astronomer rules out alien visits

A leading astronomer has dismissed rumours that aliens from other planets have been visiting us on Earth, claiming the distance is too vast for a spaceship to fly.

Dr Christian Kaiser, of the University of Southampton, said while it was possible life existed on other planets the "enormous" gap between us and the next Earth-like body would prevent the journey.

A spate of reported sightings of UFOs has led to renewed speculation that aliens are surveying the planet.

Speaking ahead of a public lecture later this month, Dr Kaiser, of the School of Physics and Astronomy, said: "There has been breathtaking progress in finding planets.

"The proof of life on another planet would be a huge scientific discovery and would also severely challenge our social, political and religious thinking.

"Until recently, most detected planets have masses much larger than that of Earth, but new discoveries push that limit down to only a few Earth masses. Planets comparable to Earth should have solid surfaces and may harbour life.

"However, the distances between stars in our galaxy are enormous. Therefore, there is no way that life forms from another planet, if such exist, could have already visited us on Earth."

The first unambiguous detection of a planet around a star other than the sun was made in 1992. Today more than 300 such planets are known.

Dr Kaiser's talk, for the Bath Science Cafe, will explain the techniques behind detecting new planets, present the latest discoveries and discuss the possibilities of life on other planets.

The event will be held in The Raven pub, in Bath, Somerset, on July 14. No tickets or reservations are required.

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