An Object That Just Passed Earth Was So Strange Scientists Are Testing It for Alien Life
(ANTIMEDIA) — Last month, Anti-Media reported on the discovery of a giant interstellar asteroid passing through our solar system. The asteroid, named ‘Oumuamua, was the first object from another star system to be detected by the human race and stunned scientists with its shape — it is ten times longer than it is wide — and its color, a dark red hue caused by millions of years of exposure to radiation. Now scientists say the object is so peculiar that they are going to study it for signs of advanced extraterrestrial life.
The Breakthrough Listen initiative will spend $100 million to test ‘Oumuamua for radio signals. Scientists say that though it is highly unlikely, the unusual characteristics of the asteroid fit the bill of a giant interstellar probe or spaceship. Astronomers will use the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia to scan four radio bands for ten hours.
Igniting the wonder of many in the field, Harvard’s astronomy department chair and an adviser to Breakthrough Listen, Avi Loeb, remarked:
“The more I study this object, the more unusual it appears, making me wonder whether it might be an artificially made probe which was sent by an alien civilization.”
The Breakthrough group says the shape of the asteroid is “the most likely architecture for an interstellar spacecraft since this would minimize friction and damage from interstellar gas and dust.” However, they believe a natural origin is more probable.
Loeb cautions that we should not get our hopes too elevated.
“Most likely it is of natural origin, but because it is so peculiar, we would like to check if it has any sign of artificial origin, such as radio emissions,” Loeb says. “If we do detect a signal that appears artificial in origin, we’ll know immediately.”
Although it’s highly unlikely (to say the least) that we’ll hear anything, we’d be crazy not to have a go. It’s not everyday that we get access to a visitor from interstellar space. https://t.co/WVOqXYN0yo
— Brian Cox (@ProfBrianCox) December 12, 2017
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