In search of aliens!

Advancements in science rapidly augured human efforts to unravel the mysteries of the outer space and opened up new vistas of exploring celestial structures. Among various aspects of space exploration, the possibility of excavating the presence of alien life caught the imagination of astronomers.

To satiate the unquenchable thirst of exploring the extra-terrestrial life, nations invested heavily in the development of sophisticated scientific instruments. Overwhelmed by the astounding curiosity of “Are we alone?”

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The immense curiosity to unravel the mystery of “Are we alone in this universe?” has been growing along with the advent of technology. To satiate this hunger, China has built a humongous radio telescope ‘Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope’ (FAST). The telescope in test run had detected radio waves emitted by a pulsar over 1351 light years away. FAST equipped with 4,450 panels is believed to be the greatest bet in searching for intelligent alien life

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Thousands of enthusiastic space observers embarked on the mission of tracking the alien life. Sadly, researchers couldn’t detect any life-form in our solar system. Undaunted by the loneliness within our solar system, scientists redoubled efforts to look beyond the confines of our solar system.

Astronomers soon envisioned projects to unravel mysteries of alien life. Yuri Milner, a Russian billionaire, a science enthusiastic spearheaded a pioneering mission in this direction. In July 2015, roping in an illustrious group of alien hunters and leading astronomers launched the biggest ever $100 million Breakthrough Listen Project to conduct intensive ‘Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence’ (SETI). Engineers soon built digital processing equipment to handle the vast amounts of data collected by telescopes.

Besides, the Breakthrough Listen Project, around 9 million volunteers across the world dedicated computer time for the SETI@Home project that separates data from signals that are not from natural sources.

Indeed, in 1967, astronomer Jocelyn Bell Burnell tracked rapid radio signals from outer space and believed that they were coming from advanced civilisations. But soon it turned out that they were transmissions from a spinning neutron stars culminating in the discovery of pulsating radio stars or pulsars.

To avoid these false calls, all transmissions henceforth were confirmed by the second observatory. To potentially circumvent the footfalls in the detection of intelligent life elsewhere astronomers are currently using The 100mt-Green Bank Observatory in West Virginia, the largest steerable telescope on the Planet and 64mt-The Parkes Observatory New South Wales that can pick up sensitive radio signals emitted 25 trillion kilometres away.

Using these state-of-art telescopes researchers began scanning hundreds of galaxies in our Milky Way and millions of planets orbiting stars’ closest to Earth under the Breakthrough Listen Project. This initiative with a lifespan of 10 years is almost 50 times more sensitive than SETI research.

Another interesting initiative launched by Yuri Milner includes Breakthrough Message which establishes an international competition open to all, to create digital messages, encoding description of human life, civilisation and about our planet. This initiative aims at developing potential languages for interstellar communication.

But these messages will not be transmitted as renowned Physicist Stephen Hawking warned against communicating with alien life for he strongly believes that life forms reading our messages would be several billion years ahead of us. So they might be powerful.

He also cautioned that researchers should be very cautious in answering alien signals and drew an allegory to Native Americans first interaction with Christopher Columbus, which didn’t turn out so well. He believed that alien intelligent forms are likely to conquer and colonise our planet. But various scientists expressed contradictory opinions that aliens, who are capable of travelling across the Universe, might be more sophisticated and friendly.

Joining the elite of Space exploration is the most advanced China’s ‘Five- hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope’ (FAST) radio telescope was officially inaugurated on September 25. Built at a cost of 1.2 Yuan and nestled in natural gorges of the South-western province of Guizhou in China, it is now officially the World’s largest single-dish radio telescope pushing the 305mt wide- Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico to the second position. FAST is 10 times more sensitive than Arecibo.

In tune with its aspirations of symbolising economic prosperity, China is now making rapid strides in the arena of science and technology. While the project was mooted in 1993, it took 10 years for scientists to the collective at a concrete plan of constructing the World’s biggest spherical telescope and to settle on the place of construction.

Finally, they decided on building the telescope in a natural formation of mountains assembled like an equilateral triangle wherein the large dish could be positioned in the valley like a cup. Constructed in a span of five years, local officials have cleared the area of human habitation to avoid any interference in monitoring radio signals by officially relocating 10,000 people within the range of 5km.

Vouching for its scientific authenticity, the telescope in test run had detected radio waves emitted by a pulsar over 1351 light years away. FAST equipped with 4,450 panels is believed to be the greatest bet in searching for intelligent alien life. Unlike other radio telescopes it is not completely steerable; instead, each of the triangular panels can be adjusted allowing scientists to study the sky in parts.

Equipped with a data system developed at International Centre for Radio Astronomy (ICRAR) in Perth and European Southern Observatory, it can manage hundred thousand GB’s of data a year. The Next Generation Archive System (NGAS) will aid in the detection of spinning neutron stars, the products of supernova explosions and in looking for signs of alien life.

The search for alien life in the past six decades through detection of radio signals failed to provide any significant evidence. A strong signal identified by a Russian Radio telescope last month stirred up sudden interest and now sensitive detection capabilities of FAST is offering a new hope.

Moreover, with astronomers detecting three potentially habitable earth sized planets the probability of finding alien life has increased tremendously. To make FAST fully operational it will need three years of calibration.

With this colossal telescope, China has undeniably entered into the new realm of a scientific renaissance. As of now, the gigantic telescope can assure China of scripting new scientific records of winning Nobel-Prizes since detection of alien life is not on the agenda. But with scientific community engaged in SETI is keen on collaboration, FAST can emerge as the game-changer is the search for alien life.

Besides astronomers, the common man is also enamoured by the existence of alien life. In a bid to satiate inherent curiosity, makers of motion pictures began portraying the exhilarations of interacting and establishing bridges of communication with the alien life forms.

Indeed, the maestros of Hollywood, Bollywood and animation movie creators unveiled engineered creatures on big screens to enthral common man. The plausible presence of alien life generated a sheer fascination towards exobiology for some.

While the existence of advanced civilisations in this universe is still hugely debated, none wants to miss the excitement and adventure of exploring the space for companions, since human beings are social animals. But as of now the existence of alien life is one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of science.

By: Ramaharitha Pusarla