Bush Budget Goes ‘Out There’
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WASHINGTON — Proof that life exists outside the boundaries of Earth continues to elude scientists, but President Bush’s budget suggests “space aliens” may be out there.
And it could just be a matter of time before they are discovered.
In a brief passage titled “Where Are the Real Space Aliens?” Bush’s budget document, released Monday, says several important scientific discoveries in the last decade indicate that “habitable worlds” in outer space may be much more prevalent than once thought.
The finds include evidence of currently or previously existing large bodies of water -- a key ingredient of life -- on Mars and on Jupiter’s moons.
Astronomers also are finding planets outside the solar system, including about 90 stars with at least one planet orbiting them.
“Perhaps the notion that ‘there’s something out there’ is closer to reality than we have imagined,” the passage concludes.
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