WASHINGTON: NASA scientists are now convinced that extraterrestrial life is a fact, not a mere possibility, and says man will find conclusive signs of life far from Earth by the year 2045.

For scientists, the big question about alien life is no longer if it will be found but when.

"I think we're going to have strong indications of life beyond Earth within a decade, and I think we're going to have definitive evidence within 20 to 30 years," NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan said this week during a forum on habitable places in space.

"We know where to look. We know how to look. In most cases we have the technology, and we're on a path to implementing it. And so I think we're definitely on the road," said an optimistic Stofan.

She cautioned, however, that "we are not talking about little green men...we are talking about little microbes."

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