Do aliens exist? Astronomers may receive reply to cosmic signals sent 40 years ago on August 22
By Sunita Iyer | First Published Aug 21, 2023, 9:24 PM ISTAstronomers eagerly await a response to radio signals sent into space 40 years ago, with hopes of confirming the existence of extraterrestrial life, specifically from the Altair star, as they prepare to monitor radio signals with a new antenna.
Astronomers are eagerly awaiting a response to radio signals that were transmitted into space four decades ago, aimed at potentially confirming the presence of extraterrestrial life. According to a report from the Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, Professors Masaki Morimoto and Hisashi Hirabayashi utilized a Stanford University antenna in the US to broadcast a series of radio signals into space on August 15, 1983. The signals carried 13 visual depictions illustrating Earth's evolutionary history, human appearances, and other informative content.
Presently, a team led by Shinya Narusawa at the University of Hyogo is preparing to deploy a 64-meter diameter antenna in Saku, Nagano Prefecture. The aim is to monitor radio signals that might be in response to the 1983 message.
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(The 13 images beamed into space in 1983 - Picture courtesy: Shinya Narusawa)
The astronomers are specifically hoping for a reply from Altair, situated 16.7 light years away from Earth. This celestial body is located in the Aquila constellation and ranks as the 12th brightest star in the night sky.
Shinya Narusawa commented, "A large number of exoplanets have been detected since the 1990s. Altair may have a planet whose environment can sustain life."
The researchers anticipate that around this timeframe marks the earliest opportunity for a response to have reached Earth from Altair. The team has scheduled the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) antenna in Saku, central Japan to scan the heavens for a reply, with a dedicated hour of listening beginning at 10 PM JST on Tuesday night (August 22, 6:30 PM IST).
Interestingly, August 22 carries symbolic importance for Japan, as it celebrates Tanabata, commonly referred to as the 'star festival,' on the seventh day of the seventh month. However, due to the Lunar Calendar, Tanabata falls on the following day, a date that was chosen deliberately.
The original transmission of the "Hello, is anybody there?" message in 1983 coincided with August 15, as highlighted by the media outlet.
Notably, Prof. Masaki Morimoto, a Japanese pioneer in the field of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), had worked at the Tokyo Astronomical Observatory of the University of Tokyo, which is now a part of the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2010.
Shinya Narusawa, 58, firmly believes that intelligent life exists beyond Earth within the universe. He conveyed to the Japanese outlet, "A large number of exoplanets have been detected since the 1990s. Altair may have a planet whose environment can sustain life.”
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