---
title: "Aliens in These Star Systems Could See Life on Earth, Scientists Say"
description: "So far, the hunt for extraterrestrial life hasn't succeeded. But thankfully, there are loads of star systems with a clear view of us instead."
date: "2020-10-23"
modified: "2020-10-23"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/aliens-stars-see-life-earth"
categories:
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "Exoplanets"
  - "extraterrestrial life"
  - "SETI"
  - "the digest"
---

# Aliens in These Star Systems Could See Life on Earth, Scientists Say

![So far, the hunt for extraterrestrial life hasn't succeeded. But thankfully, there are loads of star systems with a clear view of us instead.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/aliens-stars-see-life-earth.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## Hello World

So far, the [hunt for extraterrestrial life](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/seti-team-increases-number-stars-might-host-life-200x>) has failed to turn up anything.

Thankfully, the onus for first contact may not be on us at all — new research shows that more than 1,000 closeby star systems have a clear line of sight to Earth that would let alien astronomers there spot us instead, *[Live Science ](<https://www.livescience.com/aliens-spot-earth-exoplanets.html>)*[reports](<https://www.livescience.com/aliens-spot-earth-exoplanets.html>). It turns out that many of the tricks we use to hunt for aliens could also be used to spot us, should anyone out there be looking.

## Dim Blue Dot

Exactly 1,004 star systems — 95 percent of which are old enough to theoretically support life — lie within 300 light-years of Earth and offer their exoplanets a clear at Earth, [according to research](<https://academic.oup.com/mnrasl/article/499/1/L111/5931805>) published Tuesday in the journal *Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society*.

In fact, over 500 of them would even be able to see ten straight hours of Earth a day, *Live Science* reports, when they weren't blocked by the Sun.

## Passing By

Just like earthling astronomers can learn about exoplanets by observing them as they [pass between us](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/student-discovers-17-planets-could-host-life>) and their host stars, theoretical extraterrestrials could glean information about Earth by doing the same, *Live Science* reports. They'd likely be able to tell, for instance, that Earth is a rocky planet with a hospitable atmosphere.

"If observers were out there searching, they would be able to see signs of a biosphere in the atmosphere of our Pale Blue Dot," lead author and Cornell University astronomer Lisa Kaltenegger [said in a press release](<https://astro.cornell.edu/news/smile-wave-some-exoplanets-may-be-able-see-us-too>).

**READ MORE:** [Aliens on 1,000 nearby stars could see us, new study suggests](<https://www.livescience.com/aliens-spot-earth-exoplanets.html>) \[*Live Science*\]

**More on SETI:** *[SETI Team Increases Number of Stars That Might Host Life by 200x](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/seti-team-increases-number-stars-might-host-life-200x>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)