Comet explorer may be sitting on alien life

Comet lander Philae may be sitting on an object teeming with alien microbial life, according to two leading astronomers.

Distinct features of the comet 67P/Churyumov- Gerasimenko, such as its organic-rich black crust, are best explained by the presence of living organisms beneath an icy surface, they claim.

Rosetta, the European space craft orbiting the comet, is also said to have picked up strange “clusters” of organic material that look suspiciously like viral particles.