Extraterrestrial life

Definition

Extraterrestrial life, or alien life, is life that originates from another world rather than on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been detected. Such life might range from simple forms such as microbes to intelligent beings, possibly bringing forth civilizations that might be far more, or far less, advanced than humans. The Drake equation speculates about the existence of sapient life elsewhere in the universe. The science of extraterrestrial life is known as astrobiology.

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ALF (TV series)ALF (character)ALH84001 A Message from Earth Abiogenesis Abraham Loeb Acetaldehyde Acetamide Acetic acid Acetone Acetonitrile Acetylene Acrolein Across the Universe (message)Acrylonitrile Active SETI Adenine Aestivation hypothesis Aether (classical element)Age of Enlightenment Age of the universe Air pollution Aleksandr Leonidovich Zaitsev Alien abduction Alien intelligence Alien language Aliphatic Allan Hills 77005 Allan Hills 84001 Allen Telescope Array Alpha Centauri Aluminium(I) hydroxide Aluminium(II) oxide Aluminium isocyanide Aluminium monochloride Aluminium monofluoride American Association for the Advancement of Science Americas Ames Research Center Amino radical Aminoacetonitrile Ammonia Ammonium Anaxagoras Anaximander Ancient Greece Ancient astronauts Ann Druyan Anthracene Antimony Apeiron Apollo Apollo 17 Archaeology, Anthropology, and Interstellar Communication Arecibo Observatory Arecibo message Argonium Aristotelian physics Aristotle Aromatic Arsenic Artificial intelligence Associated Press Astrobiology Astrobiology Field Laboratory Astrobiology Science and Technology for Exploring Planets Astrobiology Society of Britain Astrochemistry Astroecology Astrolinguistics Astronomical object Astronomy Astrophysics Atheism Atmospheric chemistry Atmospheric pressure Atmospheric science Atmospheric sciences Atomic and molecular astrophysics Atomism Augustine of Hippo Avi Loeb BBC News BIOPAN BLC1 BRUIE Bacteria Barney and Betty Hill incident Beagle 2 Beagle 3 Benjamin Franklin Benzene Benzonitrile Berkeley SETI Research Center Berserker hypothesis Big Bang Bilateral symmetry BioSentinel Bioastronautics Biochemistry Biodiversity Biolab Biological Oxidant and Life Detection Biology Biomolecule Bion (satellite)Biosatellite program Biosignature Black project Black smoker Boron Bracewell probe Breakthrough Enceladus mission Breakthrough Initiatives Breakthrough Listen Breakthrough Message Breakthrough Starshot Brookings Report Brown dwarf Buckminsterfullerene Butyronitrile Byzantine Empire C-Silicon dicarbide C70 fullerene CAESAR (spacecraft)CCP radical CI1 fossils CNES COSPAR CTA-102 Callisto (moon)Caltech Cambrian explosion Carbodiimide Carbon Carbon cation Carbon chauvinism Carbon dioxide Carbon monophosphide Carbon monosulfide Carbon monoxide Carbonyl sulfide Carl Sagan Carl Sagan Institute Cassini–Huygens Cell membrane Centaurus Center for Life Detection Science Chang'e 4 Charles Darwin Chemical element Chemical formula Chemical reaction Chemistry Chemosynthesis Chinese Space Program Chlorofluorocarbon Christians Christopher Columbus Chronology of the universe Circumstellar dust Circumstellar envelope Circumstellar habitable zone Civilization Clara Moskowitz Classical elements Claudia Dreifus Cliff Pickover Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence Communication with extraterrestrial intelligence Computer-generated imagery Constellation Convergent evolution Copenhagen University Copernican Revolution Copernican principle Copernicus CosmicOS Cosmic Call Cosmic dust Cosmic pluralism Cosmic ray Cosmochemistry Cosmos Creator deity Curiosity (rover)Cyanamide Cyano radical Cyanoacetylene Cyanoallene Cyanobutadiynyl radical Cyanoformaldehyde Cyanomethyl Cyanopolyyne Cyclopentindene Cyclopropenone Cyclopropenylidene Cydonia (Mars)DENIS-P J082303.1−491201 b DNA DNA replication Dark forest hypothesis Dark matter Darwin (spacecraft)David Brin Deep biosphere Definition of life Democritus Dennis Overbye Dennis W. Sciama Deuterium Diacetylene Diatomic carbon Diatomic molecule Diazenylium Dicarbon monoxide Diffuse interstellar band Digestion Dihydroxyacetone Dimethyl ether Directed panspermia Disilicon carbide Dmitry Rogozin Donald Brownlee Dragonfly (Titan space probe)Drake equation Dyson sphere E-Cyanomethanimine EPIC 204278916 ESA EXPOSE Earliest known life forms Earth Earth's crust Earth's mantle Earth analog Ecological niche Edward Walter Maunder Enceladus Enceladus Explorer Enceladus Life Finder Enceladus Life Signatures and Habitability Enceladus Orbilander Epicurus Eruption column Ethane Ethanethiol Ethanimine Ethanol Ethyl formate Ethylene Ethylene glycol Ethylene oxide Ethynyl radical EuCROPIS Eukaryote Europa (moon)Europa Clipper Europa Lander (NASA)European Astrobiology Network Association Evolution Evolutionary biology Evolving the Alien ExoLance ExoMars Exobiology Radiation Assembly Exomoon Exoplanet Exoplanetology Exosphere Exotheology Explorer of Enceladus and Titan Exposing Microorganisms in the Stratosphere Extragalactic planet Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia Extrasolar planet Extraterrestrial hypothesis Extraterrestrial intelligence Extraterrestrial liquid water Extraterrestrial sample curation Extraterrestrials in fiction Extremophile Fakhr al-Din al-Razi False positive Fast radio burst Fermi paradox First contact (anthropology)Firstborn hypothesis Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope Fluoromethylidynium Fobos-Grunt Forbidden mechanism Formaldehyde Formamide Formic acid Formyl radical Fossil fuel Foton-M Frank Drake Fulminic acid G-type main-sequence star Galactic habitable zone Galaxy Galaxy group Gale (crater)Galileo Galilei Galileo affair Ganymede (moon)Gas giant Gauss's Pythagorean right triangle proposal Geocentric model Geoffrey Chaucer Geoffrey Marcy Geology Geomicrobiology Germanium Giordano Bruno Gliese 581 c Glycine Glycolaldehyde Glycolonitrile Goldilocks zone Graphene Gravity Great Filter Great Library of Alexandria Green Bank Telescope Greenhouse effect Grey alien Guanine H2NCO+HC4N HCCN HD 164595 Habitability of F-type main-sequence star systems Habitability of G-type main-sequence star systems Habitability of K-type main-sequence star systems Habitability of binary star systems Habitability of brown dwarf systems Habitability of natural satellites Habitability of neutron star systems Habitability of red dwarf systems Habitability of yellow dwarf systems Habitable zone Habitable zone for complex life Haim Eshed Halonium ion Halophiles Hans Freudenthal Hart–Tipler conjecture Hayabusa2 Heavy water Helium hydride ion Hello from Earth Hemolithin Heptatrienyl radical Hermann von Helmholtz Hexatriynyl radical History of Earth History of astronomy History of the extraterrestrial life debate Hoax Homochirality Hot Jupiter Hubble Space Telescope Human Hydrocarbon Hydrogen Hydrogen chloride Hydrogen cyanide Hydrogen deuteride Hydrogen fluoride Hydrogen isocyanide Hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen sulfide Hydromagnesium isocyanide Hydroperoxyl Hydrosphere Hydrothermal vent Hydroxyl radical Hypothetical technology Hypothetical types of biochemistry Hypoxanthine I.B. Tauris I.S. Shklovskii INAF IRAS 16293−2422 Ian Stewart (mathematician)Ice giants Icebreaker Life Imidogen Immanuel Kant Indigenous peoples of the Americas Intelligence Intergalactic dust International Journal of Astrobiology Interplanetary contamination Interplanetary medium Interplanetary space Interstellar communication Interstellar formaldehyde Interstellar medium Interstellar probe Interstellar travel Iosif Shklovsky Iron(II) cyanide Iron(II) oxide Iron–sulfur world theory Isaac Ben-Israel Isaac Newton Isocyanic acid Isocyanoacetylene Isoformyl Israel Space Agency Jack Cohen (biologist)Jack Cohen (scientist)Jacques Monod Jainism Jared Diamond Jennifer Stern Jesus Johannes Kepler John Gribbin John Wilkins Jon Lomberg Joseph-Nicolas Robert-Fleury Journey to Enceladus and Titan Jupiter Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer Jöns Jacob Berzelius K-type main-sequence star Kardashev scale Karl Marx Kazachok Kepler (spacecraft)Kepler space telescope Kerogen Ketene Ketenimine Ketenyl Kuiper Belt L4 (spacecraft)Laniakea Supercluster Laplace-P Laser pulse Late Middle Ages Lewis White Beck Liebigs Annalen Life Life Investigation For Enceladus Life on Mars Life on Titan Life on Venus Life origination beyond planets Lifeform Light-year Light pollution Limb (anatomy)Lincos language Linda Salzman Sagan Liquid water List of UFO sightings List of alleged extraterrestrial beings List of exoplanet extremes List of interstellar and circumstellar molecules List of interstellar radio messages List of microorganisms tested in outer space List of multiplanetary systems List of potentially habitable exoplanets List of unsolved problems in astronomy Little Green Men Living Interplanetary Flight Experiment Local Group Long Duration Exposure Facility Los Angeles Times Louis Pasteur Lucretius MELOS Magma Magnesium cyanide Magnesium isocyanide Magnesium monohydride Magnetic field Mariner 4 Mariner 9 Mars Mars 2020 Mars Astrobiology Explorer-Cacher Mars Geyser Hopper Mars Science Laboratory Mars sample-return mission Mars sample return mission Martian atmosphere Martian canals Martian meteorite Mediocrity principle Meteorite Meteoroid Methane Methanethiol Methanol Methoxy Methoxyethane Methyl acetate Methyl cation Methyl formate Methyl isocyanate Methyl isocyanide Methyl radical Methylamine Methylene (compound)Methylene amidogen Methylenimine Methylidyne radical Methylidynephosphane Microbes Microbiology Microorganism Middle Ages Milky Way Milky Way galaxy Mirror life Molecule Molecules in stars Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Moon Moon Agreement Muhammad al-Baqir Multicellular organism Murchison meteorite N-Methylformamide NASA NASA Astrobiology Institute NASA Exoplanet Archive NIROSETI Naked eye Nakhla meteorite Nanobacterium Naphthalene Natural selection Nature (journal)Nature Astronomy Nebular hypothesis Neocatastrophism New Horizons New Scientist Nexus for Exoplanet System Science Nicholas of Cusa Nicolaus Copernicus Night sky Nikolai Kardashev Nitric oxide Nitrogen Nitrogen dioxide Nitrous oxide Nitroxyl Non-equilibrium thermodynamics Non-planetary abiogenesis Noosphere Norman Horowitz Northern Light (spacecraft)Nova ScienceNow O/OREOS OREOcube OSIRIS-REx Ocean Worlds Exploration Program Ocean planet Oceanus (Titan orbiter)Octatetraynyl radical On the Origin of Species Opportunity (rover)Optical SETI Organic compound Organic molecule Organic molecules Organic synthesis Origin of life Origin of life on Earth Origin of mankind Outer Space Treaty Outer space Outline of extraterrestrial life Oxygen Ozone Ozone depletion PAH world hypothesis PBS PSR B1257+12 A PSR B1919+21 Paleontologist Paleontology Panspermia Paradigm shift Parkes Telescope Parsec Paul Davies Percival Lowell Perseverance (rover)Peter Ward (paleontologist)Phoenix (spacecraft)Phosphine Phosphorus Phosphorus mononitride Phosphorus monoxide Photodissociation region Physical law Pioneer plaque Planet Planetarium hypothesis Planetary habitability Planetary habitability in 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hypothesis Red dwarf Reducing atmosphere René Descartes Ribonucleic acid Rio Tinto river Robert C. Byrd Robotic spacecraft Rogue planet Rosalind Franklin (rover)Rosetta (spacecraft)Roskosmos SERENDIP SETI SETI@home SETI Institute SHGb02+14a Samuel L. Braunstein San Marino Scale Saturn ScienceDaily Science divulgation Science fiction Scientific American Scientific method Search for extraterrestrial intelligence Sebastian von Hoerner Sensory organ Sentiocentrism Seth Shostak SetiQuest Sextant Shergotty meteorite SiNC Silane Silicon Silicon-carbide cluster Silicon carbide Silicon carbonitride Silicon monosulfide Silicon monoxide Silicon tricarbide Silylidyne Simon Conway Morris Size of the universe Social science Sodium chloride Sodium cyanide Sodium hydroxide Sodium iodide Solar System Solar activity Solar analog Solvent Space.com SpaceX Red Dragon Space Flyer Unit Space exploration Spanish Astrobiology Center Speciesism Spectrography Spectroscopy Spirit (rover)Spontaneous generation Star formation Stars Stellar evolution Stephen Hawking Sulfanyl Sulfur dioxide Sulfur mononitride Sulfur monoxide Sun Superhabitable planet Superhabitable world Svante Arrhenius THEO Tabby's Star Tanpopo (mission)Tanpopo mission Technosignature Teen Age Message Telescope Terrestrial Planet Finder Terrestrial planet The Atlantic The House of Fame The New York Times The Times of Israel The Washington Post Theory of evolution Theory of gravity Thermodynamic equilibrium Thiocyanic acid Thioformaldehyde Thioformyl Thioxoethenylidene Tholin Tianwen-1 Tin Titan (moon)Titan Mare Explorer Titanium(II) oxide Titanium dioxide Trace Gas Orbiter Transit (astronomy)Triatomic molecule Tricarbon Tricarbon monosulfide Tricarbon monoxide Trident (spacecraft)Trihydrogen cation Tycho Brahe UFO religion UV radiation Ufology Uncontacted peoples Unicellular organism Unidentified flying object Uniformity of motive United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs Universe University of California, Berkeley University of California, Riverside University of Oxford Uranus VVV-WIT-07 Vegetable Production System Venetian Holy Inquisition Venus Venus In Situ Explorer Viking 1 Viking 2 Viking lander biological experiments Viking program Vinyl alcohol Vinyl cyanide Volcanic lakes Volcano Voyager 1 Voyager 2 Voyager Golden Record Water Water cycle Water hole (radio)Water on Mars White dwarf William Herschel William Thomson, 1st Baron Kelvin William Vorilong William Wallace Campbell Wow! signal Xanthine Xenoarchaeology Yamato 000593 Yuri Milner Zhi-Wei Wang Zhurong (rover)Zoo hypothesis

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