A recent study by Penn State University astronomers has pushed the search for extraterrestrial life to new heights, using advanced technology to scour the TRAPPIST-1 star system for elusive radio signals.
Despite no confirmed alien signals, the effort marks a significant leap in the search for intelligent life beyond Earth, thanks to the most extended radio technosignature search conducted on a single target to date. The research team’s findings were accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal and made available in preprint on arXiv.
“This research shows that we are getting closer to technology and methods that could detect radio signals similar to the ones we send into space,” Nick Tusay, a graduate student research fellow at Penn State and first author of the study, said in a press release.
“Most searches assume a powerful signal, like a beacon intended to reach distant planets, because our receivers have a sensitivity limit to a minimum transmitter power beyond anything we unintentionally send out. But, with better equipment, like the upcoming Square Kilometer Array, we might soon be able to detect signals from an alien civilization communicating with its spacecraft,” Tusay said.
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