Is Anybody Out There? The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
A program being established by NASA will eventually cover and area 10 million times larger than that investigated so far. Using specially designed equipment, it will focus on some 1,000 carefully chosen sun-type stars. The hope is to detect radio signals. The equipment will also scan the entire sky over a wide range of frequencies. Although each point will be observed for only few seconds, the survey will increase the probability that all potential sites for intelligent life have been examined.
Is Anybody Out There? The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
By Mr. Ghaz, September 27, 2009
Is Anybody Out There? The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
People have speculated about the existence of extraterrestrial life for thousands of years. Today we know that within our solar system the earth is almost certainly unique in supporting intelligent life. But our solar system is only a tiny part of the universe: there are millions of stars in our galaxy, and around some may circle planets with life – even intelligent life.
No matter where we look in the universe, we find that everything is composed of the same chemical elements in much the same proportions. And stars, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies are found throughout. The same chemical and physical processes operate. The “sameness” of the universe implies that life elsewhere could be similar to life on earth. The sheer size of the universe makes it likely that the same conditions that produced life on earth could be present elsewhere.
Scientists believe that in the depths of space millions of earth-type planets are revolving around sun-type stars at a distance that provides the right conditions for life. However, obtaining proof of the existence of such planets presents immense practical problems. Any planet would be visible only from the faint reflected light from its parent star – and this would be lost because of the glare from the star itself. The difficulty has been compared with trying to distinguish between a candle and a searchlight when the two are side by side and being observed from many miles away.
More hope lies in studying the infrared radiation that a planet would emit. In this case the comparison becomes more like looking for a flashlight instead of a candle next to the searchlight.
Detection in Space
Because the earth’s atmosphere filters out infrared radiation, any search for new planets has to take place in space. The Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS), launched as a U.S.-British-Dutch venture in 1983, is undoubtedly the most important tool available. In orbit above the atmosphere of the earth, the satellite has detected thousands of new infrared sources and analyzed others in far greater detail than had previously been possible with earthbound equipment.
Image via Wikipedia
IRAS has sent back information that certain stars are emitting slightly higher levels of infrared radiation than had been expected. Astronomers believe that this excess is due to dust and gas clouds that surround the stars. Optical studies of one of the stars, Beta Pictoris, reveal faint wings, probably the side view of a disc-shaped dust cloud – the kind of cloud from which our planet was formed.
Listening for Life in Space: NASA scientists have erected a series of radio antennas, such as the one at above in Goldstone, California. It is hoped that the antennas will detect radio signals sent out by any other civilizations in space.
Wobbling Stars
If bodies as large as planets are hidden within these dust clouds, their gravitational pull would make the stars appear to wobble across the sky over the years. Since a star is more massive than any planet, the effect would be very slight.
Many wobbling stars have been observed, but in most cases the effect is too great to be the result of the planetary influence. Instead, the wobble seems to be caused by the pull of a small companion star. For those wobbling stars where the effect may be due to the pull of a planet, more evidence is needed.
The evidence could well be provided when NASA launches the space telescope in the 1990’s. Free from the interference of the atmosphere of the earth, the telescope’s optical equipment will be powerful enough to obtain images of unprecedented clarity and detail. If there is a planet circling Barnard’s Star, six light–years away, the telescope should be able to detect it.
http://im.ly/f38d0/
The next step, if such a planet is found, is for scientists to analyze its atmosphere by attaching a spectroscope to the telescope. The detection of large amounts of oxygen would be evidence of plant life. Oxygen is a highly active element that would soon combine with other substances and disappear as an independent element unless it was continually being replaced by plant life. Careful study might reveal the traces of other gases, also the product of biological life.
The discovery of life-bearing planets would strengthen the probability that there is intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy. How could we find positive evidence of its existence?
Broadcasting to the Cosmos
For some 50 years, signals from radar and broadcasting systems on earth have been leaking into space. Any technologically advanced civilization may have noticed that there is a lot of energy being emitted on the wavelengths these system uses. Such a civilization would know that this amount of activity would not occur naturally and must be taken as evidence of deliberate, intelligently controlled radio traffic emanating from a planet bearing intelligent life.
Other intelligent species may be sending out radio signals, too. Astronomers various parts of the world, attempting to discover such signals, have accumulated 120,000 hours of observations. So far they have found nothing – but they have covered only a tiny fraction of a myriad of possible frequencies and locations.
A program being established by NASA will eventually cover and area 10 million times larger than that investigated so far. Using specially designed equipment, it will focus on some 1,000 carefully chosen sun-type stars. The hope is to detect radio signals. The equipment will also scan the entire sky over a wide range of frequencies. Although each point will be observed for only few seconds, the survey will increase the probability that all potential sites for intelligent life have been examined.
Whether or not the NASA program will find evidence of extraterrestrial life is unknown. But there is one certainty: if intelligent life is found elsewhere, the outlook of the human race will never again be the same.
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15 Responses to “Is Anybody Out There? The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence”
On September 27, 2009 at 5:16 am
Somebody, someday is going to find something. I still prefer twinkle over wobble, however. lol.
On September 27, 2009 at 5:24 am
Very interesting article. What bothers me is what would happen if we did find anybody out there. Humans tend to destroy anything that they find!
On September 27, 2009 at 5:40 am
This is great Mr. Ghaz. I guess, however, that there is no planet massive enough to cause its parent star to wobble. It’s the gravitational perturbation of neighboring fellow stars that caused the wobbling. And countless of stars being circled by their own planets have been observed already, but there is no sign of life so far. Extraterrestrial life though remains possible considering the seemingly boundless expanse of the universe.
On September 27, 2009 at 11:26 am
I really hope that we are not the only planet with life, in fact I find it impossible to believe that we are! I find it interesting that we spend so much time looking for signals that we equate with though. What’s not to say that we’ve been contacted a 1000 times already, except we don’t have the technology to receive THEIR mode of communication. Great article.
On September 27, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Wow!! fantastic!is!!..that was really cool,and unique article.loved the pictures I always enjoyed reading your stuff. Never heard about this thing before..Thanks you:)
On September 28, 2009 at 2:05 am
Interesting article. Cool pics!
On September 28, 2009 at 11:43 am
unique topic to write on. The future will only tell…..
On September 28, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I believe – what I mean is I know somewhere out there – there are intelligent beings! Excellent article, mrghaz. You always write about such interesting topics.
On September 28, 2009 at 10:47 pm
You are a good writer my friend. How cool would it be to find intelligent life beyond our solar system.
On September 29, 2009 at 9:36 am
So far our planet is the luckiest, it is the only one found to be alive and everything else is a product of convoluted theories and speculations….
On September 29, 2009 at 12:49 pm
A new theory that a Red star could have a planet much closer, -like the distance of Mercury to the sun, and still be within a ‘habitable zone’ due to the star’s cooler and lesser radiations. This proximity of planet to star would also aid discovery as it *just may be possible* to observe the yet hypothetical plant transiting the star! This would provide a wealth of information about the size, distance of the planet from the star AND the composition of the atmosphere due to the star’s energy action on elements of the planet’s atmosphere or biosphere… It could determine if the planet has water oceans, and ice caps at the poles, etc.
The first planet we discover that could be ‘habitable’ may well in fact be orbiting very close to a red star. From this, discoveries might allow the same factors learned to be applied to more ‘distant’ from the sun planetary objects.
On September 30, 2009 at 3:20 am
Thank you for interesting article and beautiful pictures. Modern technologies are developing so fast and I am sure that quite soon the signals from other galaxies will be received, and a new epoch in science will start.
On October 1, 2009 at 5:36 pm
If there is a God
He must own the universe too
Some one out there
Is waiting for you
In the Ottawa museum
I saw a huge meteor
80 thousand years ago
Which landed on the earth?
It has all types of metals
Found on the earth
Particularly iron
That is magnetic
It controls the universe
If it be so
The universe is a vast resource
For the Human Mind
To research
We all have a small mind
There is a wonderful
Creator out there
Let’s go and find
On October 1, 2009 at 9:08 pm
i hope they will find some aliens. i need new friends. he he he
On October 24, 2009 at 7:50 am
im always interested in that kind of thing, wish to find one too…
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