0:00:11 > 0:00:12Hey, everyone!
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Ayshah here with this morning's big stories.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16First, the world's longest and deepest railway tunnel
0:00:16 > 0:00:20is being officially opened in Switzerland today.
0:00:20 > 0:00:23The Gotthard base tunnel is 57 seven kilometres long
0:00:23 > 0:00:25and took 17 years to build.
0:00:25 > 0:00:28Engineers dug deep under the Alps mountain range to make a high speed
0:00:29 > 0:00:31rail link between the Netherlands in Northern Europe
0:00:31 > 0:00:35and Italy in the south.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Now to something else that's massive -
0:00:37 > 0:00:39the Square Kilometre Array project.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42When it's finished, the radio telescope will be the most powerful
0:00:42 > 0:00:45in the world and be able to search further into space than ever before.
0:00:45 > 0:00:51There's one big question scientists hope it will help us answer.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08Aliens.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Are they really out there?
0:01:11 > 0:01:16And, if so, are we ever going to find them?
0:01:16 > 0:01:18The universe is vast.
0:01:18 > 0:01:22Our solar system is one of the solar systems around a sun,
0:01:22 > 0:01:25which is one of the millions of stars in our galaxy.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27Our galaxy is one among the millions of galaxies
0:01:27 > 0:01:29in the universe.
0:01:29 > 0:01:30So, why not?
0:01:30 > 0:01:32Maybe there is life somewhere in another solar
0:01:32 > 0:01:37system in another galaxy.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39That is what scientists are trying to find out
0:01:39 > 0:01:41with the help of these.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44This is the Square Kilometre Array project.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47When it is finished, it will be the world's most
0:01:47 > 0:01:50powerful radio telescope, so sensitive that it will be able
0:01:50 > 0:01:56to detect a signal from a planet that is tens of light years away.
0:01:56 > 0:01:59These telescopes are listening for intelligent life
0:01:59 > 0:02:02and that is why they have decided to build them here.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05What makes this place in South Africa perfect
0:02:05 > 0:02:08is that there is no radio waves around to mess up the signal.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11That's no microwaves, no mobile phones -
0:02:11 > 0:02:14I've had to turn mine off.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Every day, these dishes are collecting massive amounts
0:02:16 > 0:02:23of data, which will eventually be processed by a supercomputer
0:02:23 > 0:02:29in the UK where experts will look for any signs of life.
0:02:29 > 0:02:32How do you go about looking for alien signals?
0:02:32 > 0:02:35Well, you have got big telescopes like that and they can go listen
0:02:35 > 0:02:39in the universe and listen for radio signals from other planets
0:02:39 > 0:02:42where we hope they also have radio signals and maybe we can detect
0:02:42 > 0:02:44some of these signals.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47How would we know that an alien has tried to contact us?
0:02:47 > 0:02:50We are looking for intelligent signals, signals that are not
0:02:50 > 0:02:53from nature but that are made by intelligent creatures.
0:02:53 > 0:02:56Will we ever be able to find an alien?
0:02:56 > 0:02:58I certainly hope so.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00I hope to find them once in my lifetime.
0:03:00 > 0:03:02It would be such a big discovery.
0:03:02 > 0:03:05But it could be very long and it could also take very long
0:03:05 > 0:03:08to communicate with them because the signals take maybe years
0:03:08 > 0:03:12to go to the civilisation and also take years to get back,
0:03:12 > 0:03:16so one simple question and answer could take, like, 40 years.
0:03:16 > 0:03:19Of course, there's no guarantee that other civilisations exist
0:03:19 > 0:03:24beyond our world, but, if they do, it might not be long before
0:03:24 > 0:03:29SKA finds them.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Someone who might have a thing or two to say about aliens
0:03:32 > 0:03:33is British astronaut Tim Peake.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36In less than three weeks' time he returns to Earth
0:03:36 > 0:03:40from the International Space Station and here's what he said when asked
0:03:40 > 0:03:42what his first meal would be after coming back home.
0:03:42 > 0:03:45The unhealthy version would be pizza.
0:03:45 > 0:03:48A healthy version would be a nice fresh salad with some fresh fruit.
0:03:48 > 0:03:52Both, actually, I really crave.
0:03:52 > 0:03:54I'd go for pizza every time, Tim!
0:03:54 > 0:03:57Come back at 8.15am when we'll be hearing more from him,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00including his highlight of being in space.
0:04:00 > 0:04:01Some quick football news to finish.
0:04:01 > 0:04:05England have announced who they're sending to France for the 2016
0:04:05 > 0:04:07European Championships.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Manchester United's teenage striker Marcus Rashford has been named
0:04:10 > 0:04:12in Roy Hodgson's England squad.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15He only made his professional debut in February, but his successful
0:04:15 > 0:04:18performance since then has earned him an international call-up.
0:04:18 > 0:04:23Jamie Vardy, the superstar forward who helped send Leicester City
0:04:23 > 0:04:26to the top of the Premier League, has also made the cut.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Wayne Rooney will captain the 23-man England squad.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Wales manager Chris Coleman has announced that Joe Ledley's been
0:04:34 > 0:04:37selected for Euro 2016 after returning to training
0:04:37 > 0:04:41less than a month after fracturing his leg.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44The Wales boss says Ledley is looking good and should be back
0:04:44 > 0:04:48for the group stages.
0:04:48 > 0:04:49That's all from me.
0:04:49 > 0:04:54I'll be back in about half-an-hour.