NASA believes it has figured out the best ways to identify alien life.
The agency has published new work in the Astrophysical Journal this week explaining its methods for searching for life on other planets.
By looking at what molecules one could identify on a far away planet and examining if their presence indicated life and most likely couldn't exist without it, it came up with some tips for would-be alien finders.
First of all, NASA claims oxygen, ozone and methane do not prove life by themselves. Together they may indicate life, but any one of them could be produced on their own without life present. The researchers believe an environment with oxygen and methane together would likely have life, because oxygen and methane tend to get rid of each other in atmospheres where they're not being continually reintroduced by living organisms. They also found that the range of ultraviolet light coming from starts nearby a planet can affect the ability of life to prosper. Read the original piece for more ideas.