Arecibo Observatory Detects Strange Signals from Nearby Red Dwarf Star Ross 128

a reply to: marg6043

With the way things are going on this planet I say bring em on. Get me off this rock.

a reply to: Xcathdra

Ha, ha, I will be the first one to scream "beam me up Scotty"

I agree., this is not likely to be an intelligent communication. But like a zombie, you have to be sure.
Now if does come from ET, a 22 year turnaround on messages would be worthwhile.
Plus, if disclosure without panic was important, then an11 lightyear gap would be a great talking point for the world's leaders to use.
Most people don't evacuate hurricanes or tornadoes till it crosses their backyard fence.

VF

originally posted by: NoCorruptionAllowed
True, and it's the same as Seth Shostak of SETI who often ridicules anything remotely ET, even though his job is supposed to be searching for ET. He doesn't believe they exist anywhere, but is being paid to look for them anyway with no personal expectation of ever finding any...

As a regular listener to his podcasts, and after reading, hearing, and seeing many interviews with Seth, I'd have to say he strongly believes in life elsewhere. It may be true he has some doubts the SETI radio dishes (or other dishes) will find signs of them, but he has said that would be due to limitations in the searching methods -- NOT due to there being no aliens.

originally posted by: Christosterone
Time to build a [space] wall...
-Chris

If it were a solar space wall, we'd be that much closer to a Dyson Sphere (of some sort of Dyson Structure).

a reply to: Soylent Green Is People

As a regular listener to his podcasts, and after reading, hearing, and seeing many interviews with Seth, I'd have to say he strongly believes in life elsewhere. It may be true he has some doubts the SETI radio dishes (or other dishes) will find signs of them, but he has said that would be due to limitations in the searching methods -- NOT due to there being no aliens.

Agree strongly. He is a scientist by the very definition.
Real scientists have no craving for the instant gratification received by supplying "feel good" answers.
They subscribe to the scientific method, which puts everything discovered through a gauntlet that tries to pin it on known causes. Very few things make it through unscathed, but if they do... they become science.

Anyone know where to look for fresh updates on this ?
I have only read the op and not heard anything new.
Do they have confirmation of a signal or what..
I read they where going to point telescopes all over the world at this "thing"
I really want us "humanity" to find some sky friends in my lifetime

Will be following for sure. One more interesting tidbit: these guys keep surfacing on all kinds of interesting stuff. SRI International of Menlo Park, CA is listed as a contractor. From MKULTRA to SETI these guys seem to have their fingers in alot of conspiracy related fodder

originally posted by: Spacespider
Anyone know where to look for fresh updates on this ?
I have only read the op and not heard anything new.
Do they have confirmation of a signal or what..
I read they where going to point telescopes all over the world at this "thing"
I really want us "humanity" to find some sky friends in my lifetime

Arecibo, Greenbank and ATA telescopes were used to detect the signals on Sunday. They have apparently been confirmed and they're still considered "strange" as can be seen in the pic Mendéz posted on Twitter:



For the latest buzz about the topic I suggest using Twitter search in combination with the hashtag #Ross128. This link takes you straight to the results. For various news sources you might want to try Google News.

originally posted by: Xcathdra
With the way things are going on this planet I say bring em on. Get me off this rock.

Oh, boo hoo. This is the planet you're on. It has some very nice things to experience. If you don't like it, you already have some very proven alternatives.

Prof. Abel Mendez reports the success of the new observations of the star Ross 128 on Monday, July 16th. He will analyze the results and hopes to announce an answer to the question: 'What is causing these signals'? before the end of this week.

It sounds as if the mysterious signals were received again, and clearly enough to allow a prompt conclusion.

originally posted by: Blue Shift

originally posted by: Xcathdra
With the way things are going on this planet I say bring em on. Get me off this rock.

Oh, boo hoo. This is the planet you're on. It has some very nice things to experience. If you don't like it, you already have some very proven alternatives.

Sure... and Aliens with the ability of interstellar space travel offer even more nice and unique things to experience.

UPDATE 2017/07/17: We successfully observed Ross 128 last night from the Arecibo Observatory. It was raining during the observations but this has a minimal effect on the C-band. SETI Berkeley with the Green Bank Telescope and SETI Institute's ATA joined our observations. We need to get all the data from the other partner observatories to put all things together for a conclusion. Probably by the end of this week.

Enough data to draw some sort of conclusion... very cool.

It will either be some of the most exciting news ever or will not make the news cycle at all.

I'd love to see the former happen.

So ...

UPDATE 2017/07/17: We successfully observed Ross 128 last night from the Arecibo Observatory. It was raining during the observations but this has a minimal effect on the C-band. SETI Berkeley with the Green Bank Telescope and SETI Institute's ATA joined our observations. We need to get all the data from the other partner observatories to put all things together for a conclusion. Probably by the end of this week.

AND..

Should it be alien ...

The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), have clear protocols for what happens next. These specify that the discoverer must notify other signatories to the protocols, other astronomers around the world, and also the United Nations. All data surrounding the discovery must also be made public. Importantly, no response to the signal should be sent until international consultations have taken place. Whatever (if anything) is transmitted back in the direction the signal came from would indicate our presence, so we’d better be sure we want to announce our existence before doing so.

a reply to: ChrisM101

SETI's Seth Shostak also published an article about Ross 128 and the signals, here's an excerpt:

Signals from A Nearby Star System?

(...) Institute scientist Gerry Harp is looking at the ATA data now, and this page will be updated with whatever findings are made. Of course it’s possible that Ross 128 will shed its anonymity and become the first star system to show good evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. But it’s likely – at least on the basis of past experience – that we will find another, less romantic explanation for the mystery that now enshrouds this object.

Seems like they're following the protocols which is of course the way it should be. My gut feeling is that it's neither ETI nor interference from a terretrial satellite. Rather something inbetween, an unknown natural cause.

But don't get me wrong: I'm of course hoping it's an ETI message. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

a reply to: jeep3r

Here is a pretty clear indication from Prof. Mendez that this has nothing to do with ET, and that they likely know the source - he tweeted this:



"Prof. Abel Méndez @ProfAbelMendez

We are waiting for all results to reach a conclusion on the nature of the signals from #Ross128 later this week. Spoilers: not aliens. 😊"

So it's not ET, although probably interesting and unusual outright. Still will be fascinating to understand even if it has nothing to do with aliens.

originally posted by: Xcathdra
Sure... and Aliens with the ability of interstellar space travel offer even more nice and unique things to experience.

I wouldn't count on it.

originally posted by: jeep3r
a reply to: ChrisM101

SETI's Seth Shostak also published an article about Ross 128 and the signals, here's an excerpt:

Signals from A Nearby Star System?

(...) Institute scientist Gerry Harp is looking at the ATA data now, and this page will be updated with whatever findings are made. Of course it’s possible that Ross 128 will shed its anonymity and become the first star system to show good evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. But it’s likely – at least on the basis of past experience – that we will find another, less romantic explanation for the mystery that now enshrouds this object.

Seems like they're following the protocols which is of course the way it should be. My gut feeling is that it's neither ETI nor interference from a terretrial satellite. Rather something inbetween, an unknown natural cause.

But don't get me wrong: I'm of course hoping it's an ETI message. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

If they're intelligent and perhaps this is an electronic signature of their travel ability or just a wayward transmission from some form of their technology, They would still likely be bound by The United Federation of Planets, Prime Directive, so as to not interfere with our evolution. (or Elections) #MEGA

a reply to: stirrednotshaken

Interesting, although in the following article (from today) he doesn't seem to be very clear about what it could be or why he rules out ETI as a cause: Washington Post article

But of course he might not have told the journalist all he knows and theorizes. Nevertheless he actually managed to create quite a hype around those signals (thus increasing his "brand value").

a reply to: jeep3r

Agreed, good PR work by the professor there. Nothing ET-related at all in this discovery but he managed to create a lot of buzz. 😉

a reply to: stirrednotshaken

Well the thing with this science is they are just building a database of what these signals are not by finding and matching them against things they know of.

How can you ever verify the unknown using this method?

He can just say he heard something, but we dont know what.

Did a black hole burp, Did an alien microwave a burrito with a neutron torpedo, or is that the decay of the signature of Alien warp drive burst?