Not a Drill: SETI Is Investigating a Possible Extraterrestrial Signal From Deep Space

[VanGnome]

 

Quote

An international team of scientists from the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is investigating mysterious signal spikes emitting from a 6.3-billion-year-old star in the constellation Hercules—95 light years away from Earth. The implications are extraordinary and point to the possibility of a civilization far more advanced than our own.

The unusual signal was originally detected on May 15, 2015, by the Russian Academy of Science-operated RATAN-600 radio telescope in Zelenchukskaya, Russia, but was kept secret from the international community. Interstellar space reporter Paul Gilster broke the story after the researchers quietly circulated a paper announcing the detection of “a strong signal in the direction of HD164595.”

The mysterious star’s designation is HD164595, and it’s considered to be sun-like in nature with a nearly identical metallic composition to our own star. So far, a single Neptune-like (but warmer) planet has been discovered in its orbit—HD 164595 b. But as Gilster explained, “There could, of course, be other planets still undetected in this system.”

 

Decorated Italian SETI researcher and mathematician Claudio Maccone along with Russia’s Nikolai Bursov of the Special Astrophysical Observatory are the principal scientists working on the apparent discovery. They claim that “permanent monitoring of this target is needed.”

The RATAN-600 Radio Telescope in Russia. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

“The signal conceivably fits the profile for an intentional transmission from an extraterrestrial source,” said Alan Boyle, author of The Case for Pluto who reported the story for Geekwire. “In any case, the blip is interesting enough to merit discussion by those who specialize in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.”

The signal’s strength indicates that if it in fact came from a isotropic beacon, the power source would have to be built by a Kardashev Type II civilization. (The Kardashev scale is used to determine the progress of a civilization’s technological development by measuring how much energy was used to transmit an interstellar message.) An ‘Isotropic’ beacon means a communication source emitting a signal with equal power in all directions while promoting signal strength throughout travel.

In his acclaimed work “Transmission of Information by Extraterrestrial Civilizations,” Soviet astronomer Nikolai Kardashev explained that a Type II civilization would be able to harness the energy of their entire host star. The most common hypothetical example of this would be a Dyson Sphere—which is a massive artificial structure that could completely encapsulate a star and transfer the energy to a nearby planet.

A cut-away diagram of an idealized Dyson shell, a variant on Dyson’s original concept.(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Basically, if the signal was beamed out into the galaxy without aim or direction, that would require an enormous amount of power to actually be detected. But what if the signal was beamed specifically at our solar system? Well, that would require less energy and could indicate the presence of a Kardashev Type I civilization—meaning that it could be a highly technological, contemporary society that harnesses the solar energy emitted by its local star, much like our planet does with solar panels. This particular civilization’s social structure is theorized to be completely globalized and interconnected.

“The signal is provocative enough that the RATAN-600 researchers are calling for permanent monitoring of this target,” said Gilster. And that’s exactly what is transpiring. As of last night, the SETI institute is diverting its Allen Telescope Array in northern California to investigate while their counterparts at METI International (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) will use Panama’s Boquete Optical Observatory.

The detection of the mysterious signal and the ensuing investigations will be discussed at the IAA SETI Permanent Committee during the 67th International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, on September 27—the same day and location where Elon Musk will reveal his plans to colonize Mars. The Observer will be following up on both these stories from the Congress.

Robin Seemangal focuses on NASA and advocacy for space exploration. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, where he currently resides. Find him on Instagram for more space-related content: @nova_road.

http://observer.com/2016/08/not-a-drill-seti-is-investigating-a-possible-extraterrestrial-signal-from-deep-space/

 

Pretty neat if true!

[MJDDawg]

Wow. Pretty wild.

 

Be careful what you wish for?

[Monty]

[Fanuck]

So,  they strategically wait until Pokémon Go is available globally to signal us......

[Ghostsof1915]

 

[Brad Marchand]

I researched other articles on the subject. One of them contained this passage:

 

Quote

“Standard SETI protocols call for confirmation of possible signals from a separate observatory. This helps ensure that the original signal didn’t arise from a technical glitch in the original observatory, and it helps rule out a hoax perpetuated by some enterprising graduate students targeting a SETI experiment.

 

“In the past, plans for SETI follow-up observations have focused on confirmation of the original signal, seeking a repeat signal at the same frequency. That’s a critical step for confirmation – and we don’t yet have evidence that this sort of follow-up has happened for HD 164595.

 

“In addition, we need to be alert to the possibility than if we do really find a signal from an advanced civilization, they are also transmitting at other frequencies than the one where we first detected them. That’s why it’s so important to prepare for follow-up SETI observations at both radio and optical frequencies, to be launched as soon as we detect a credible candidate signal at any frequency.”

 

http://www.geekwire.com/2016/signal-seti-interest-hd164595/

You never know what it could turn out to be, but I'm not ready to get excited yet as this has happened before.

[trek]

So no one else but the Russians have detected the signal? I'll wait for a more international team to confirm their findings...

[VanGnome]

3 minutes ago, trek said:

So no one else but the Russians have detected the signal? I'll wait for a more international team to confirm their findings...

Russian, Italian, American and South American physicists and scientists are working in collaboration to monitor this. Doesn't get much more international than that.

 

Quote

“The signal is provocative enough that the RATAN-600 researchers are calling for permanent monitoring of this target,” said Gilster. And that’s exactly what is transpiring. As of last night, the SETI institute is diverting its Allen Telescope Array in northern California to investigate while their counterparts at METI International (Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence) will use Panama’s Boquete Optical Observatory.

 

[trek]

1 minute ago, shadowgoon said:

Russian, Italian, American and South American physicists and scientists are working in collaboration to monitor this. Doesn't get much more international than that.

Yes, but they have nil so far.

[VanGnome]

1 minute ago, trek said:

Yes, but they have nil so far.

I would expect confirmation to take longer than the 11 hours or so since the story was published

[trek]

Obviously.

 

Though a seti@home project scientist doesn't seem too convinced. We shall see.

http://setiathome.berkeley.edu/forum_thread.php?id=80193

[Alflives]

How do we humans treat lesser developed societies?  Why should a more developed society finding us be a good thing?  

[Art Vandelay]

1 minute ago, Alflives said:

How do we humans treat lesser developed societies?  Why should a more developed society finding us be a good thing?  

That's a very good argument to why we shouldn't want to find other civilisations.

 

I sure don't want to be a monkey in a museum for another planet.  

[Jimayo]

7 minutes ago, Art Vandelay said:

That's a very good argument to why we shouldn't want to find other civilisations.

 

I sure don't want to be a monkey in a museum for another planet.  

 

No, it's not.  You are projecting humanities foibles elsewhere  Any civilization advanced enough to be a threat would have gone through the pressures we are facing right now.  You don't make it past that while retaining violence and bigotry.  With those technological leaps you would destroy youself if you don't also advance morally.

[nux4lyfe]

Wassup alien?, Let's trade drugs.

[Dral]

1 hour ago, Jimayo said:

 

No, it's not.  You are projecting humanities foibles elsewhere  Any civilization advanced enough to be a threat would have gone through the pressures we are facing right now.  You don't make it past that while retaining violence and bigotry.  With those technological leaps you would destroy youself if you don't also advance morally.

Do you have any evidence to back this up?

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

On 2016-08-29 at 11:22 PM, Ghostsof1915 said:

 

This movie never gets old : D

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

On 2016-08-29 at 11:56 PM, nux4lyfe said:

Wassup alien?, Let's trade drugs.

And liquor of course 

[Mr.DirtyDangles]

On 2016-08-29 at 11:52 PM, Jimayo said:

 

No, it's not.  You are projecting humanities foibles elsewhere  Any civilization advanced enough to be a threat would have gone through the pressures we are facing right now.  You don't make it past that while retaining violence and bigotry.  With those technological leaps you would destroy youself if you don't also advance morally.

Klingon Empire says hello.......

[Art Vandelay]

1 hour ago, Jimayo said:

 

No, it's not.  You are projecting humanities foibles elsewhere  Any civilization advanced enough to be a threat would have gone through the pressures we are facing right now.  You don't make it past that while retaining violence and bigotry.  With those technological leaps you would destroy youself if you don't also advance morally.

I totally disagree. A sophisticated culture and advance technology is mutually exclusive. There is absolutely no evidence to say what kinda of culture comes with a more advanced society. But, humans do have evidence of "modern" culture destroying and assimilating cultures that are thought to be "lesser". 

 

Your argument assumes a set of values is associated with advancing technologies. That is completely unknown. I was expressing a uncertainty, because I have no idea what would happen if we encountered another civilisation.  For myself, I believe in finding new life forms and developing a mutual relationship, but also do fear finding "The Borg".