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

An international team of scientists from the Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) are 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 signal conceivably fits the profile for an intentional transmission from an extraterrestrial source,” says 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, or SETI.”

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.

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 utilize 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 27th–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.

http://observer.com/2016/08/not-a-d...ible-extraterrestrial-signal-from-deep-space/

 

It would be awesome if there's something really to it. But experience tells me that it's probably something else like when we first discovered pulsars - or an out and out series of detection errors. But we shall see, I guess.

 

If there was a civilization there, they are likely long dead.

 

If they exist, they're 95 ly away not 6.3 billion, the estimated age of the star with which I think you're getting confused. Let's pretend they detected signs of industrial pollutants in Earth's 1826 atmosphere and beamed a "Wazzup?" in our direction.

I suspect this is more likely to be another Wow! signal that will never be repeated -- we can hope otherwise but is contact what we really want? How will we present ourselves -- a sanitised version that contradicts other transmissions or a warts-and-all version? 190 years (more than six generations) elapsing between sending a question and receiving an answer requires a very long term commitment and a lot of patience for our ADHD civilisation.

ETA: The star lies in the general direction that the solar system is travelling and isn't wildly askew of the KST field of view. Probably just a coincidence...

 

Minor nit: They'd be sending a signal based on 1826 (95ly both ways).

 

There should be a comparison that is possible. Radio signals from sun in a solar system that has a habitable planet in the Goldilocks Zone should emit a variance in the radio signal compared to a sun in a solar system with lets say a rocky planet in the place of Earth.
The reason the radio signals would be different is that the life sustaining habitat of an Earth like planet would interfere with the radio signal from the sun due to the atmospheric gases of the Earth like planet compared to a planet that is rocky and barren like Mars that would interfere with the radio signal differently as well.

You have two planets that are the same size.

One planet has a cloud covering atmosphere the other does not. The radio signals would interact with each type of planet differently. But the variance in the difference might be so small that it wouldn't be able to be noticed unless a telescope was really close to the sun and the transiting planet.

The star is 6.3 billion years old a little under 2 billion years older than our Sun. Life on any planet within the HD164595 solar system might have evolved slightly ahead of the life here on Earth. The fact that the HD164595 sun is slightly older than our own Sun would suggest to me that it existed at a time when ejecta from the Big Bang was still traveling through the Universe. Planets in system HD164595 might have been in a molten stage of development or could have been part of the ejecta that eventually traveled to the Sol system and became the rocky planets in our solar system.

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.

I for one would have to dispute the Dyson Sphere Theory. An advanced civilization would use a Gas Giant to harvest and convert heat via a TEG from the storms on the Gas Giant because doing so would be safer as well as more beneficial and effecient. The Gas Giant would have asteroids orbiting it that would be used to build facilities and stations from as well as ships which a Dyson Sphere around a sun would not have such assets to effectively support a developing civilization.

 

If it IS another civilization, hopefully an analysis of the signal - or another signal soon to follow that did not wait for us to reply - will be instructions for building something to let us communicate in real-time. Quantum-entanglement based Galactic Citizen's Band, or something.

 

The signal came from 95 light years away. Radio travels at the speed of light so the signal is 95 years old.

My conspiracy theory mindset wants to know why this discovery was classified immediately and why the mainstream media is ignoring it?

A few years back I went to a conference about SETI and they predicted we'd pick up a definitive alien signal by 2025.

 

Brain fart.

 

D'oh, yes -- still the industrial revolution was well under way even then.
ETA:

It's probably seen as too nerdy and doesn't involve any celebrities or politicians.

 

95 years! Let's hope not!

 

The Great Filter strikes again -- yes, let's hope not.

 

The question is; Why would they hide something like that?

 

So, the original signal was detected more than a year ago. Have they picked up anything else?

 

That seems like a long time to release such a news.

 

My guess -- in case it turned out to be local noise and the researchers didn't want to risk looking unprofessional and silly. Who was blocking wider dissemination -- the Russian Academy of Science, Putin? The article doesn't state.

 

Let's hope they are forthcoming with more pertinent information in September.

 

Seems like The Observer is getting ahead of themselves...

http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=36248

 

Maybe they're sending us the blueprints for a teleportation device....

 

I want their internet connection then. Lot of bandwidth required for a signal that lasted only three seconds.