Hacker group Anonymous claims Nasa is on the verge of announcing alien life

Hacker collective Anonymous has released a video repeating others' claims that Nasa is on the verge of announcing contact with alien life.

The video, released on an unofficial YouTube channel claiming to be affiliated with Anonymous, repeats the text of three articles from the conspiracy website Ancient-Code.com, according to the Daily Mail.

The video, which runs with advertising, has garnered over half a million views.

Anonymous claims head of Nasa Science Mission Directorate Professor Thomas Zurbuchen said at the meeting: "Our civilisation is on the verge of discovering evidence of alien life in the cosmos.

"Taking into account all of the different activities and missions that are searching for alien life, we are on the verge of making one of the most profound, unprecedented discoveries in history."

Recent discoveries in our solar system and beyond have boosted the hopes of those who long for first contact with alien life.

It’s not like we’re counting, but between 2009-2013 @NASAKepler has found 4,000+ potential planets and 2,300+ confirmed planets. #KeplerWeek pic.twitter.com/dqIVQ1enTg

— NASA Exoplanets (@NASAExoplanets) June 20, 2017

In April, scientists announced that the Cassini space probe had discovered hydrogen on the Saturn moon of Enceladus, the "missing ingredient" that could support microbial life on the seafloor of the icebound moon.

And just this month, scientists at Nasa's Ames Research Centre revealed the "most reliable" catalogue yet of potential planets in our galaxy, bringing the total to 4034.

According to the scientists, more than 2300 planets spotted during the Kepler missions have been confirmed so far, including more than 30 terrestrial-sized planets that lie in the "Goldilocks Zone" of their star considered conducive to life.

The new findings represent an explosion in knowledge about potential havens for alien life on other planets.

#ICYMI: Our @NASAKepler space telescope has identified 219 potential new worlds. Video of news briefing: https://t.co/DgOeQxc0ZJ #KeplerWeek pic.twitter.com/nkzsrdwCga

— NASA Exoplanets (@NASAExoplanets) June 19, 2017

"Only in the last few decades have we been able to detect the existence of other worlds," said House Committee on Science Space and Technology chairman Lamar Smithin at an April 26 hearing. "The pursuit of evidence of life beyond our planet fascinates the American people."

Anonymous' video opens by reading the text of an article responding to that Congressional hearing and predicting the imminent announcement of the discovery of extraterrestrial life.

That article, and two other read aloud in the video, appeared on the website Ancient Code between January and April of this year, DailyMail.com can confirm.

The articles ran without bylines. The Ancient Code website appears to be registered in Croatia.

- Daily Mail