Sky show details scientists' search for aliens in space

Do you believe extraterrestrial beings exist? Have they ever visited Earth in flying saucers? Has anyone had contact with aliens? The new sky show UFO Files on at the Hong Kong Space Museum from now until May 21, 2001, explores these questions.

For decades, unidentified flying object (UFO) sightings have been reported. Science fiction fans say they are spaceships navigated by aliens who have mastered the technology of in terstellar travel, while others are quick to embrace the idea that ancient civilisations on Earth were partly developed with extraterrestrial beings' help.

However, most scientists take UFO being alien spacecraft with a pinch of salt. The reason is sim ple: over 95 per cent of UFO sightings can be attributed to known phenomena. Moreover, many UFO photos are either blurry, or worse still, hoaxes.

Although there is no compelling evidence that the Earth has been visited by aliens, astronomers do believe that we are not alone in the universe.

Our universe is peppered with billions of galaxies, each of which may contain hundreds of billions of stars. It is, therefore, highly probable that among the zillion stars, some may possess planets that may harbour life. In recent years, astronomers embarked on a systematic search of interstellar radio signals that may originate from extraterrestrial civilisations.

UFO Files tries to unveil the mysteries of flying saucers. Besides examining the now infamous Roswell incident and other UFO cases, the programme will also introduce how astronomers make use of latest technologies to find new planets, and their effort in searching for extraterrestrial civilisations.