Scientists with the alien-seeking Breakthrough Listen project are investigating a signal that may have come from Proxima Centauri, the star closest to the sun, according to a report from The Guardian.
Why it matters: If it is confirmed as a real sign of life, it would be very exciting. In all likelihood, however, the radio signal – found in 2019 – has a much more mundane origin story.
What is going on: According to The Guardian, Breakthrough scientists picked up a “narrow beam of radio waves” during observations with the Australian Parkes telescope in May and April 2019.
- These narrow beams are of particular interest because they look like the kind of radio waves that humans send into the universe, but that also makes it more difficult to analyze whether such a signal is of alien or human origin.
- The scientists behind the discovery have been unable to find an obvious explanation for the signal and are now conducting follow-up observations to try to piece it together.
- “The most obvious thing for them is to go back and use Parkes or another observatory with similar sensitivity and just look again,” said Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute, who is not involved in the new research.
What to watch: It is still possible that this signal is actually being emitted from a human cause that has yet to be found.
- Or, the signal may even come from another cosmic source with properties yet to be pinned down.
- What’s next: These capabilities require follow-up observations to give scientists a good idea of what actually produced the signal.
Be smart: The scientists have yet to publish their full findings, and it will take a lot of analysis and confirmation to know if the signal is truly alien in nature or not.Go deeper: Alien hunters discover mysterious signal from Proxima Centauri (Scientific American)