Every one of us is made up of atoms that were once part of an exploding star, including atomic carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen — some of the fundamental ingredients for life.
Over billions of years, these ingredients condense to form gas clouds, new stars, and planets, which means that the ingredients, and therefore the potential, for life beyond Earth are scattered across the universe.
What's more, a number of recent discoveries also strongly suggest that alien life exists, either in our own solar system or beyond.
The ultimate question is no longer "Is there life beyond Earth?" but rather "Will we ever find it?"
Here's what we know:
DON'T MISS: There's a rare supermoon total lunar eclipse happening this weekend, and it won't come again until 2033
UP NEXT: 9 tripped-out sci-fi technologies in 'The Martian' that NASA really uses
Earlier this year, a team of scientists estimated that about 4.5 billion years ago at least one-fifth of Mars was covered in an ocean more than 450 feet deep. Any signs of life that swam in these waters could therefore be hidden in the Martian soil.
Read more about the study here.
But water isn't enough. You also need time. As it happens, a study last August discovered that water had existed on Mars for 200 million years longer than previously thought. What's more, there was life on Earth the same time as some of the last lakes on Mars.
Read more about the study here.
And just last September, NASA made the ground-breaking announcement that liquid water still exists on Mars today, albeit in much smaller amounts than 4.5 billion years ago. This unique find suggests that fossilized ancient life on Mars could be secondary to living organisms on the Red Planet's surface.
Learn more about how NASA discovered water on Mars here.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
NOW WATCH: Footage shows tourists captured by gunmen at a Philippine resort