Alien Life on Pluto? Is This for Real?

Is this yet another confirmation that we may not be alone in this universe?

According to English physicist Brian Cox, as per Budapest Report, Pluto may host microbial life in a subsurface ocean warm enough for organic chemistry to thrive.

Astronomy website Outer Places reports that when NASA's New Horizons spacecraft came within 7,800 miles of Pluto, it discovered what looked to be large mountains. These large structures are believed to be made of ice and have led experts to propose these are being "fed by subsurface oceans of liquid water." When the water rises to the surface, it freezes upon contact with Pluto's -233 Celsius temperatures.

"[New Horizons] showed you that there may well be a subsurface ocean on Pluto. [This] means - if our understanding of life on Earth is even slightly correct - that you could have living things there," Cox said.

Professor Cox, known for saying that humans could be the only complex life in our galaxy, is famous for his many educational shows in the UK. He noted that data delivered by New Horizons hint that Pluto may be home to a significant subsurface ocean. Cox said in a statement to the Times, as reported by Budapest Report, that the dwarf planet may contain subterranean seas warm enough for organic chemistry to thrive and must therefore be considered a candidate for harbouring alien life.

Principal investigator Alan Stern also remarked that the mountains are likely built of water ice. "The bedrock that makes those mountains must be made of H2O, water ice," he said. Moreover, Stern said that, so far, they have seen water ice on Pluto and believe that the it is in great abundance on the planet.

In addition to the "subsurface ocean," NASA scientists have also found "several craters and deep scars" on the surface of Pluto, along with possible mountain ranges and huge icy plains.

However, while Pluto could indeed be a good candidate for discovering extraterrestrial life, Cox noted, according to Outer Places, that it's unlikely to be the first place we look.

"It's not as accessible, unfortunately, as Europa [a satellite of Jupiter] or some of Saturn's moons. Titan looks as though it's got a subsurface ocean now, and Enceladus throws liquid into space, so you can fly through that and see if it's got organics in it," he explained.

So far, only 5 percent of the data taken by the probe has been analyzed, and more information is due to be released this weekend.