Could there be 36 species of aliens out there?

Will Nasa find Aliens in space?

Do you ever get the feeling we're not alone in the universe?

According to some new research from the University of Nottingham, we might not be.

The study suggests that there might be a total of 36 different species of aliens in our galaxy.

But, before you get too excited, it also suggests that the average distance to such civilisations would be 17,000 light-years.

This means making any detection or even having any communication with them might be a bit tricky with our current technological options.

Christopher Conselice, an astrophysics professor who led the research, said: "There should be at least a few dozen active civilisations in our galaxy."

He explained they'd reached that estimated number, "under the assumption that it takes five billion years for intelligent life to form on other planets, as on Earth."

It's thought the new research could also help work out how much time humans have left on planet Earth.

"If we find that intelligent life is common then this would reveal that our civilisation could exist for much longer than a few hundred years, alternatively if we find that there are no active civilisations in our galaxy it is a bad sign for our own long-term existence", Professor Conselice added.