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August 30, 2016
A Russian radio telescope detected a strong signal that might suggest extraterrestrial intelligent transmission.
The detection of a "powerful signal" by a Russian radio telescope in 2015 that scrutinized the celestial vault looking for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence arouses great interest in the scientific community.
This signal whose characteristics might suggest to a transmission from an alien intelligence, might as well be a radio interference or the result of a natural phenomenon, reported over the weekend by the specialized website Centauri Dreams, for making public the first time this observation.
Image Above: The RATAN-600 radio telescope in Zelenchukskaya. Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
"No one pretends that it is a transmission from an alien civilization but it certainly is worth further study," wrote Paul Gilster, the author of this site which covers scientific research on exploration deep space. The latter revealed the discovery after seeing a presentation on the subject by the Italian astronomer Claudio Maccone.
A similar star to the sun
The signal comes from the direction of a sun-like star located in the constellation of Hercules (HD164595) to about 95 light years from Earth.
Scientists know that this star has at least one planet and could be others.
The signal was detected 15 May 2015 by the RATAN-600 radio telescope in the Russian republic of Karachay-Cherkessia near the border with Georgia.
Image above: The Signal to be coming from a sun-like star HD 164595 (Artist's view). Image Credit: NASA.
The team of astronomers led by Nikolai Bursov of the Russian Academy of Sciences says that it is too early to determine the nature and origin.
But they think it is interesting enough "to ask for it to be the subject of continuous observation," wrote Paul Gilster.
This discovery should be a discussion at the 67th International Astronomical Congress to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico on 27 September.
A much more advanced civilization than ours
According to the researchers, if radio signal came from an isotropic antenna which radiates in all directions, this would be a much more advanced civilization than ours, called "Type II Kardashev" according to the scientists.
If the signal comes from a narrow emission band facing our solar system, this could be a closer human civilization.
Graphic Above: Strong leadership from the signal of HD 164595. "Raw" record of the signal together with expected shape of the signal for the point-like source in the position of HD 164595. Graphic Credit: Bursov et al.
According to Nick Suntzeff, an astronomer at the University of Texas A & M, quoted by the journal Ars Technica, the signal of 11 GHz is in the frequencies used by the military.
"If I were in the place of these astronomers observations I would continue but without much illusion given the strong possibility that it could be something military," said he said.
This detection is compared to that of the signal "Wow" captured in August 1977 by a US radio telescope or more recently the controversial observation of the star around which Tabby astronomers thought they had seen the giant structures built by an advanced civilization.
Related article:
An alien star in distant space seems to be acting very strangely
http://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.ch/2015/10/an-alien-star-in-distant-space-seems-to.html
Related links:
Planet Hunters: http://www.planethunters.org/
Centauri Dreams: http://www.centauri-dreams.org/
Images (mentioned), Graphic (mentioned), Text, Credits: NXP/AFP/Orbiter.ch Aerospace/Roland Berga.
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