Chances of finding ET are unlikely, says astronomer

London, Jan 24 (ANI): Waiting to see the green little men? You may be in for a big disappointment, as a leading astronomer has concluded that there probably aren't any aliens out there - meaning we are entirely alone in the universe.

Even though there may be tens of thousands of other distant planets similar in size to Earth, the conditions on them are likely to be too hostile to support life-forms such as ET.

Howard Smith, of the Harvard University, believes there is very little hope of discovering aliens and, even if we did, it would be almost impossible to make contact.

So far astronomers have discovered a total of 500 planets in distant solar systems-known as extrasolar systems-although they believe billions of others exist.

But Smith pointed out that many of these planets are either too close to their sun or too far away, meaning their surface temperatures are so extreme they could not support life.

"We have found that most other planets and solar systems are wildly different from our own. They are very hostile to life, as we know it," the Daily Mail quoted Smith as saying.

"The new information we are getting suggests we could effectively be alone in the universe," he said.

But his controversial suggestions contradict other leading scientists who have claimed aliens almost certainly exist. (ANI)