SETI searches for alien life in more than 1,000 galaxies
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) recently conducted a search of more than 1,300 galaxies for signs of extraterrestrial life using unexplored low radio frequencies. The search was reportedly conducted using the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA), a radio telescope in the Australian outback. The effort focused on radio frequencies in the 80-300 MHz range, a relatively uncharted territory for SETI, which traditionally focuses on higher frequencies such as the 1,420 MHz hydrogen emission line. Despite the search, no extraterrestrial signals were detected, although the findings have helped refine expectations of possible extraterrestrial transmissions.
Exploring unknown frequencies
The search query was led by Chenoa Tremblay of the SETI Institute in California and Steven Tingay, the director of the MWA at Curtin University in Australia. Their work focused on a 30-degree field of view in the Vela constellation, examining 2,880 galaxies.
Of these galaxies, the distances to 1,317 galaxies were known with high precision, allowing the researchers to constrain the power of potential transmitters in those galaxies. The results indicated that the search may have detected a signal with a transmitting power of 7 x 10^22 watts at 100 MHz.
Significance of the findings
Although no signals were found, study has provided valuable insights for future SETI research. The limitations imposed by this search will guide further studies, particularly in the low-frequency range. Tremblay and Tingay noted that Earth itself has powerful low-frequency radio transmitters, which justifies continued exploration of this range, according to a Live Science reportThe research highlights the importance of covering a wide frequency range to increase the chances of detecting extraterrestrial signals in the future.
As the search for extraterrestrial life continues, these findings highlight the challenges and complexities of scouring the cosmos for signs of intelligent civilizations.
