This massive new telescope could find alien life in hours

The upcoming launch of the fittingly named Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) in Chile is set to transform the way we search for life beyond Earth.

With its immense power, the ELT could offer a faster and more effective method of answering one of the most pressing questions in science: "Is there other life out there?"

A recent study, published on 11th March 2025 by researchers from the University of Washington and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, suggests that this state-of-the-art telescope could potentially detect signs of alien life within hours, speeding up the process significantly compared to previous efforts.

According to the research, the ELT certainly could pick up on extraterrestrial life, and at an impressive speed.

In fact, the telescope could identify biosignatures (chemical markers of life) on planets orbiting Proxima Centauri after only 10 hours of observation. These markers could include gases such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, methane, and even dimethyl sulfide.

For larger planets, similar in size to Neptune, the ELT might deliver results even more quickly, within just an hour. This is a huge leap forward compared to current techniques, which typically take weeks, months, or even years to gather similar data.

"For the most accessible nearby target, Proxima Centauri b, our results suggest that we may be able to rule out a sub-Neptune atmosphere in as little as a single hour of observing, and two biosignature disequilibrium pairs (O2/CH4 and CO2/CH4) may be accessible in about 10 hours for the most optimistic scenario," the paper explained.

The ELT will also have the capability to study both transiting and non-transiting planets. For transiting planets, it will analyse the starlight passing through their atmospheres, revealing crucial spectral data. For non-transiting planets, it will examine the reflected light from the planet's surface, providing further insights into their composition.

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