An encoded alien message from Mars has been sent to Earth, marking the first time for Earthlings to receive an extraterrestrial signal, albeit scientifically simulated.
First Alien Message Reaches Earth
This signal was simulated by the Search for Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute under the A Sign in Space project. SETI is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to discovering extraterrestrial life.
Vox reports that this feat is the brainchild of artist Daniela de Paulis, who is an artist in residence at the SETI.
According to MailOnline, the signal was beamed from the Mars Orbiter and received by three huge telescopes after 16 minutes. These telescopes are the Allen Telescope Array, Medicina Radio Astronomical Station, and the Green Bank Observatory.
The appearance of the message on the screen left specialists from Italy and the US ecstatic. MailOnline also adds that other Earthlings were able to pick up the signal at 8.4 gigahertz, though the signal may not have been full.
Now, specialists are keeping it a secret until its official public release. The specialists will process the data and store it securely. When space enthusiasts hear about it, they could participate in decoding and deciphering the message.
The message will be uploaded around Wednesday evening. The researchers will also be sharing two links on the social media platforms of SETI when the release is finished.
A total of four files will be available, but only one megahertz of bandwidth will be released. The total recording's size is five gigabits for each telescope.
The public is invited to engage with the matter through the website of the project. There will also be subsequent Zoom meeting discussions for the next six to eight weeks.
ALSO READ: First Alien Message? Scientists To Simulate Extraterrestrial Signal From Mars, Send It to Earth
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
This endeavor comes as part of long-standing efforts to find and pick up traces of extraterrestrial life. The SETI Institute, specifically, is dedicated to such specialized efforts. The institute aims to be at the forefront of the quest to know the prevalence and origins of intelligence and life beyond the Earth and across the cosmos.
The entire institute had humble beginnings under NASA's historic SETI program. It started with just two employees. As the years went by, the institute's portfolio welcomed other research disciplines and grew to become a team of roughly 100 scientists and other multidisciplinary specialists.
The specific multi-week project, A Sign in Space, comes as a major part of the Institute's study into examining the possibility of Earth getting contacted by aliens. More specifically, the program offers room for scientists to concretely prepare for such a scenario if it were to indeed happen.
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