Aliens could be discovered 'soon' if they do exist, according to a scientist.
Michael A Garrett, an astrophysicist from the University of Manchester, raised the possibility of an extra-terrestrial discovery as many UFO -watchers await the release of a US intelligence report.
The newly declassified dossier from The Office of the Director of National Intelligence assessing sightings of what are officially called Unexplained Aerial Phenomena (UAP) is expected to be made available online this week, after being delivered to Congress on Monday.
It is the first of a series of documents that will be made public under the 2022 US Defense Bill over the next four years.
The forthcoming release is expected to provide explanations for a number of previously unexplained sightings, with some of these being debunked as weather balloons or drones, reports the Daily Star.
Some of the UAPs, however, are thought to remain unsolved - allowing speculation to continue that they may have otherworldly origins.
Professor Garrett, 58, who has served as director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics since 2016, believes an answer to the age-old question of alien life may not be too far away.
The astrophysicist believes recent advances in science would make detection of extra-terrestrial life a real possibility - though does not currently believe there is enough proof that they exist.
He told the Daily Star: "If there's something interesting out there I think we'll know pretty soon. There is the possibility of real scientific discovery.
"Currently the evidence is very poorly presented and doesn't have any technical specifications associated with it. What we actually need is real scientific data and analysis."
Speculating on what might be behind some of the UFO sightings, he added: "That could be meteorites entering the Earth's atmosphere, satellites deorbiting… who knows, there might be natural phenomena that are to be discovered. It's important to keep an open mind."
