Scientists have studied the interstellar asteroid Oumuamua with a radio telescope and have found no "suspicious" radio signals.
The Breakthrough Listen project team investigated the recently discovered interstellar asteroid 1I / Oumuamua and announced that the body is not sending artificial radio signals. This allows us to conclude that the unusual elongated asteroid is not an artificial object, including an interstellar ship or space probe of an extraterrestrial civilization. The results of the first observations are available on the project website.
Scientists discovered an elongated "cigar-shaped" asteroid in October 2017. It turned out to be the first in the history of observations of an interstellar asteroid registered in the solar system. The unusual space body attracted widespread attention: soon after the announcement of the discovery, several versions appeared explaining its unusual shape. The most daring assumptions said that the elongated shape is convenient for interstellar space travel - such a "ship" would be more resistant to cosmic dust particles. Experts from the Breakthrough Listen project, created by Russian entrepreneur Yuri Milner, volunteered to confirm or deny this version to look for signs of the possible existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life.
The first stage of observations was carried out on December 13 using the Greenbank Observatory Parabolic Radio Telescope, located in the eastern United States. The instrument carried out observations in four radio bands, covering the range from 1 to 12 gigahertz. In total, the telescope has collected 90 terabytes of data, their detailed analysis continues: "suspicious" signals should be narrow-band and with variable frequency. Algorithms based on new machine learning technologies work with information. Now the analysis of the data obtained in the range from 1.7 to 2.6 GHz has been completed.
Although no signals from aliens were found on the asteroid Oumuamua, the results of his research are of great value for science: the shape, speed and other features of the asteroid make it a unique object for study. The next stage of observations may take place on December 15 or 16.
Natalia