Put it like this.
If contact comes from them first, they are obviously more advanced than us. They have developed technology that not only allows them to travel the vast distances of space, but also withstand the dangers of space. They will have a way to protect its occupants from space debris ranging from the size of a pebble to the size of a car traveling at speeds faster than anything we can produce, and just shrug it off, or dodge, or destroy said threats. By that merit alone, nothing humanity has would be able to penetrate said protection because nothing we have can launch a projectile that fast or generate enough energy to melt it off. If they are willing to expend the resources needed to reach our system from wherever they come from, they'd better have a damn good reason, and you can bet they'll be kitted out for the worst, cause it's gonna be a long way from home.
Other technologies would be dependent on the race itself, and the culture that shaped it. If they are pacifist, or expansionist, they wouldn't even bother coming to Earth. Why waste resources and manpower prying off the existing occupants when there are plenty of vacant planets in the system? A race like that will very likely be omnivorous or herbivorous, as their evolution shaped them to be aggressive only when avoidance was impossible.
If they were here to invade, they would most likely be carnivorous, as they compete with each other and other species for resources. Because of such heavy competition, it can be assumed that said race will be very well advanced in terms of military.
Of course there are plenty of other factors that determine what they could be, but I assume this to be the basic model.
If contact comes from them first, they are obviously more advanced than us. They have developed technology that not only allows them to travel the vast distances of space, but also withstand the dangers of space. They will have a way to protect its occupants from space debris ranging from the size of a pebble to the size of a car traveling at speeds faster than anything we can produce, and just shrug it off, or dodge, or destroy said threats. By that merit alone, nothing humanity has would be able to penetrate said protection because nothing we have can launch a projectile that fast or generate enough energy to melt it off. If they are willing to expend the resources needed to reach our system from wherever they come from, they'd better have a damn good reason, and you can bet they'll be kitted out for the worst, cause it's gonna be a long way from home.
Other technologies would be dependent on the race itself, and the culture that shaped it. If they are pacifist, or expansionist, they wouldn't even bother coming to Earth. Why waste resources and manpower prying off the existing occupants when there are plenty of vacant planets in the system? A race like that will very likely be omnivorous or herbivorous, as their evolution shaped them to be aggressive only when avoidance was impossible.
If they were here to invade, they would most likely be carnivorous, as they compete with each other and other species for resources. Because of such heavy competition, it can be assumed that said race will be very well advanced in terms of military.
Of course there are plenty of other factors that determine what they could be, but I assume this to be the basic model.