Two respected astrophysicists claim aliens may already have tried to get in contact with the Earth, only a week after astronomers spotted a ‘ mysterious signal’ coming from a far away galaxy.
René Heller and Ralph Pudritz of McMaster university claim that aliens are most likely searching the stars in search of alien life, using the same techniques as us: watching for the shadow of a planet moving in front of a star, the Mirror reports.
The wrote in the journal Astrobiology:
Intelligent observers… could have identified Earth as a habitable, even as a living world long ago and we could be receiving their broadcasts today.
The pair also say that if aliens are out there, they will probably only be able to see our planet at a certain point in its orbit around the Sun, when it moves in front of the star.
This means that they will only be able to see us from a certain vantage point. The astrophysicists believe that if we want to increase our chances of running into aliens then we should concentrate on this ‘thin slice of space’ to boost our chances of receiving broadcasts.
Meanwhile Astronomers at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia have managed to trace the origin of a mysterious signal called a ‘fast radio burst’ for the first time.
In a paper published in Nature this week, the scientist said the colossal burst of energy can be traced to a galaxy six billion years away from our own.
It has previously been suggested that fast radio bursts are ‘alien beacons‘, trying to contact other civilisations, but as these fast radio bursts contain as much energy as the sun pumps out in 10,000 year that seems unlikely.
So maybe ET is out there, trying to phone our home…
More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.