A surge of curiosity surrounding interstellar comet 31/ATLAS has reignited public debate over whether Earth sits in what astronomers call a “Solitude Zone.”
A new paper in Acta Astronautica challenges the idea that humans exist in cosmic isolation, introducing a probabilistic framework that suggests technologically advanced life elsewhere in the universe may be more common than once believed.
Humans have only recently gained the tools to find out whether there is alien life and advanced technology in our universe.
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter took some early October photographs. The comet is expected to make its closest pass by Earth on December 19, coming within about 167 million miles. Astronomers will once again be examining the comet for alien life.
A New Framework: What Is the Solitude Zone?
The concept of a Solitude Zone was introduced by Antal Veres of the Hungarian University of Agriculture in a recent peer-reviewed study published in Acta Astronautica.
