Study mysterious signals from a planet 94 light-years away from our Earth

A strong signal is detected from the vicinity of a sun-like star. Now astronomers are trying to figure out what it means.

Over the weekend, Centauri Dreams website reported: " In May 2015, researchers used radio telescopes (devices to find stars with radio waves from space) in Russia discovered. a candidate for the SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) this signal appears to be emitted from HD 164595 - a constellation located about 94 light-years away from Earth . "

The SETI Institute uses the Allen Telescope Array telescope to confirm an attractive signal from the constellation HD 164595. (Image source: SETI Institue)

According to scientist Paul Gilster, who studies fineness - a member present at the IAC presentation said: "Astronomers have not published research on this discovery, they plan to discuss the issue. this month next month at the 67th International Astronaut Conference ( IAC ) in Guadalajara, Mexico ".

Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California - who did not participate in the research group said: " HD 164,595 is known to nurture a planet of the same mass as Neptune. (Neptune), this planet has orbits close to the host star to support life, but there may still be other worlds in the system that we haven't discovered yet . "

Shostak told Space.com: " In other words, no one claims that aliens have emitted this signal. But that's just one of those cases that can happen at this time. ".

Shostak added: " Scientists discovered this signal are all reputable researchers and this signal is strong enough to not be considered random noise. Moreover, this signal is suitable for a something that "alien civilization" could send in - and if aliens actually gave that signal, they would have improved a lot more than us . "

Based on the characteristics of the received signal, aliens must generate an energy source of about 100 billion billion watts ( watts ) to be able to generate signals in such directions. And it will have to produce more than 1 thousand billion watts if they only send this signal to Earth for some reason.

" The first number is hundreds of times larger than the amount of sunlight shining on our Earth ."

Shostak said: " Sunday evening (August 28) and the evening of August 29, the SETI institute focused on the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) telescope network - a system of radios located in Northern California - into HD 164595 ". Shostak hopes the ATA will certainly find something that is an extraterrestrial signal, but Shostak also said: " I doubt the explanation is just gossip. For example, it could be interfered with. by a satellite orbiting Earth or something near Earth, for example ". Shostak wagers that it is " ground-based interference " if we know what makes those signals.

But sadly, we may never know it. The Russian team observed HD 164595 39 times and only detected one signal. If no one sees it again, it may be a mystery, like the famous " Wow! " Signal in 1977.

Shostak posted a blog post about SETI 's signal detection: " Without the confirmation of this signal, we can only say:" that is an interesting thing. "