It has been more than half a century since astronomers began to be interested in radio signals from spacehoping to find signs of extraterrestrial civilizations. Interest has been growing, as signs that have not been fully understood have appeared.
The phenomenon of inexplicable signals captured by radio telescopes has fueled mystery and speculation about the existence of life outside Earth. However, so far there is no conclusive evidence and the question remains: are there signs that are really messages from distant civilizations or are they just natural phenomena or interference of human origin?
some history
The search for radio signals, which could come from distant civilizations, has existed for quite some time. It began in 1960, when astronomer Frank Drake launched Project Ozma.. This was one of the first attempts to use radio telescopes to capture transmissions from possible extraterrestrials.
In the 1990s the SETI@Home project was launched. This allowed millions of people to collaborate in the search for signals of artificial origin by processing data on their personal computers.
However, In 2020 the Arecibo telescope collapsed and this put an end to this program. This left the scientific community with a feeling of frustration. Despite everything, throughout all these years, and outside of that program, some radio signals have been captured that raise doubts about their origin.
The Wow! signal
One of the most emblematic cases on this topic was the detection of the famous “Wow!” signal. This radio signal was detected by the radio telescope Big Ear from Ohio State University, in 1977. It happened when an unusually strong radio frequency spike occurred that lasted 72 seconds and it was never repeated.
Initially, this signal was named with the code “6EQUJ5”. The signal was captured by astronomer Jerry Ehman. At the time of making the discovery, Ehman wrote “Wow!” in your records. For this reason, this popular name was soon given to the phenomenon and since then it has been known by that word.
The truth is that This sign was never definitively explained.. Although there were attempts to replicate it, it was not achieved. However, astrobiologist Abel Méndez, from Puerto Rico, has pointed out that it can be explained as a powerful burst of radiation emitted by a neutron star.
The BLC-1 signal
The capture of the BLC-1 occurred in 2019 and has been the subject of great interestalthough also speculation. It was detected by the Parkes radio telescope in Australia. Its immediate effect was the revival of the debate about radio signals and their possible extraterrestrial origin.
This signal came from the direction of the closest star to Earth after the Sun, that is, Proxima Centauri which is located four light years away. This was an unusual sign, since did not present the defined patterns or modulations characteristic of natural signals.
This sparked speculation about the possibility that the signal was a “technosignature”that is, an indication of technology created by advanced intelligence. Simon Holland, filmmaker and advocate of the search for extraterrestrial signals, stated that this signal had a non-terrestrial source and that confirmation of its origin would be imminent. However, this has not been corroborated.
Caution
The scientific community, in general, does not consider that this type of anomalous signals come from extraterrestrial civilizations. They think that, although no definitive explanations have been found, it is most likely that they do not come from outer space, but are the result of interference from human teams.
It has been found that This type of interference in equipment is common on Earth. Signals generated by devices such as Wi-Fi, cell towers, GPS and satellite radios can be the source of confusion.
Alternative explanations
However, before jumping to conclusions about the existence of advanced civilizations, it is essential to consider alternative explanations. Many of the signals could be the result of astronomical phenomena such as pulsars, quasars or interference from satellites and other human sources. The nature of space is complex, and radio waves can travel great distances and be distorted in the process.
Hope is still alive
Despite doubts and challenges, the search for radio signals from distant civilizations remains an active area of research. With the advancement of technology and the construction of more powerful telescopessuch as the James Webb Space Telescope and the future Square Kilometer Array Telescope, our chances of detecting signals of extraterrestrial origin increase.
Conclusion
Every signal we pick up, every noise we explore, brings us a little closer to the answer to the question that has fascinated humanity since time immemorial: are we alone in the universe? The search continues, and with it, the hope of revealing the secrets that the universe has in store for us.
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