A mysterious signal emanating from the region of space between the constellations of Pisces and Aries was detected three times by the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico.
The signal is very mysterious and unlike any known astronomical phenomenon. Researchers who have studied its frequency diagram do not believe it is natural interference or noise.
Was the signal intentionally transmitted by an extraterrestrial civilization to a distant planet? Scientists remain wary, but we cannot pass up this opportunity.
Astronomers believe that there are about 10,000 intelligent civilizations in our galaxy alone.
Let's not forget that there are hundreds of billions of galaxies in the universe, which means that the universe is truly teeming with life. In 2008, astronomers announced that they had picked up a mysterious signal from space. This was not the last time they heard the mysterious sound.
SETI and other astronomers were delighted with the news, but they also worried that the signal would never be fully decoded.
“We probably won't be able to decipher it. We learn that there is something there, but we learn little about their civilization,”said Dan Wertheimer.
SHGb02 + 14a, as the signal was named, sounded three times, in total, its sound was about a minute. It's not long enough to establish its source, but its 1420 megahertz frequency has piqued the interest of scientists because it is the fundamental frequency at which hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, absorbs and emits energy.
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Scientists have different opinions about the nature of SHGb02 + 14a. Dr. Korpela notes that interference from the Arecibo telescope can also make the signal look like it is always coming from the same point. David Anderson, director of Seti @ home, said: "It is unlikely to be real, but we will definitely watch it."
Jocelyn Bell Burnell of the University of Bath said the signal may be a previously unknown astronomical phenomenon, such as the pulsar she discovered in 1967. “It could be a natural phenomenon of a type never seen before,” she said.
Woodruff Sullivan of the University of Washington in Seattle said research shows that a message from an advanced alien civilization may already be lurking unnoticed in the solar system.
“This scenario is reminiscent of Arthur Clarke's 2001 book A Space Odyssey, in which a monolith found on the moon was abandoned by aliens. If archaeologists found such an object, it is unlikely that science fiction would become science fact for the first time,”Sullivan said.
Of course, even if astronomers somehow manage to decipher the signal, they will face another problem - what should we answer to the alien civilization? How can we communicate with these creatures?
We still don't know if someone tried to contact us, but the signal coming from a very distant galaxy remains intriguing, and we hope that one day we will find out if it is of artificial origin or an unknown natural phenomenon.
MIKHAILOV ALEXEY