Someone wake Mr. Fermi, and tell him the paradox may be resolved.
SETI researchers are buzzing about a strong spike in radio signals that seemed to come from the direction of a sunlike star in the constellation Hercules, known as HD 164595.
The signal conceivably fits the profile for an intentional transmission from an extraterrestrial source – but it could also be a case of earthly radio interference, or a microlensing event in which the star’s gravitational field focused stray signals coming from much farther away.
This is far from the first time that researchers have received a signal that at first looked hopeful, only to discover that it was either an Earthly source masquerading as extraterrestrial, or the result of some natural phenomenon. In past instances, the regular beat of pulsars baffled scientists on their initial discovery and raised hopes of potential ETs at work, before their true nature was deduced. And there’s a chance that this signal may come from gravitational “lensing” of objects behind the target star.
The current candidate for communication was detected by astronomers in Russia more than a year ago.
The strange signal was observed by astronomers at the RATAN-600 telescope in southern Russia back in 2015, but was only announced this weekend by Paul Gilster of Centauri Dreams. The complete findings are due to be announced at this year's International Astronautical Congress in September.
The signal that was detected on May 15, 2015 has apparently not been repeated. The star in question is almost identical in mass to that of our sun and is located 95 light years away.
As with all previous cases, odds are the signal will prove to be either false or, if not detected again, filed away with the same big pile of shrugs that accompanies the Wow! signal. But for the moment, it’s good to have at least some hope of settling what may be the biggest question in, and beyond, our world: Are we alone?
A definitive, positive answer to this question would almost certainly impact the world in ways we haven’t even imagined.
Monday, Aug 29, 2016 · 7:38:49 PM +00:00 · Mark Sumner
This is not a drill.
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.