Astronomers to check interstellar body for signs of alien technology

Yes, clickbait title from the Guardian, but interesting nonetheless.

Could it be aliens?



www.theguardian.com...

Astronomers are to use one of the world’s largest telescopes to check a mysterious object that is speeding through the solar system for signs of alien technology.

The Green Bank telescope in West Virginia will listen for radio signals being broadcast from a cigar-shaped body which was first spotted in the solar system in October. The body arrived from interstellar space and reached a peak speed of 196,000 mph as it swept past the sun.

Scientists on the Breakthrough Listen project, which searches for evidence of alien civilisations, said the Green Bank telescope would monitor the object, named ‘Oumuamua, from Wednesday. The first phase of observations is expected to last 10 hours and will tune in to four different radio transmission bands.

“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,” said Avi Loeb, professor of astronomy at Harvard University and an adviser to the Breakthrough Listen project. “If we do detect a signal that appears artificial in origin, we’ll know immediately.”

Avi is however hedging his bets.

“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,” Avi Loeb, the chair of Harvard’s astronomy department and one of Milner’s advisers on Breakthrough Listen, wrote in the email to Milner.

It's very unlikely to be of aritificial origin, but if it is, groundbreaking news.

Also, what a name, Oumuamua. Could it be the Real Thing?

As soon as I saw this asteroid I thought it might be a cylinder.

a reply to: bgerbger

It's certainly a highly unusual object, given that it's long and thin and red, indicating that it's possibly made up of organic molecules. The fact that it came in from outside the Solar System also makes it unusual - fascinating even. A lot of people are discussing how it formed and where it came from.

a reply to: bgerbger

Looks like an alien pinched one off ...

What do aliens eat ! Do they wipe ?

So many questions !

a reply to: bgerbger

Our astronomers and intel people are not fools. They know exactly when things don't fit into a natural explanation. And this one doesn't. They've evidently learned something and now have to officially look at it which required going somewhat public with engaging this massive telescope that, as such instruments go, have a work schedule usually set months if not years in advance.

Even if this thing is entirely natural, it presents a nice drill for the public, an excellent educational example of how things could turn out any day as we probe and push our instruments into the cosmos. Except this one strangely enough came to visit on its own.

Observation will begin on Wednesday, December 13 at 3pm ET.

I read about this object last night, interesting. Hopefully we hear an update on what they find, whether it be something or nothing. I hope they update us promptly...
Oumuamua

Breakthrough Listen announced Monday that the program will start checking ‘Oumuamua this week for signs of radio signals using the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. The interstellar asteroid is now about twice the distance between the Earth and the sun from our planet, moving at a brisk clip of 38.3 kilometers per second. At this close distance, Green Bank can detect the faintest frequencies. It would take the telescope less than a minute to pick up something as faint as the radio waves from a cellphone. If ‘Oumuamua is sending signals, we’ll hear them.

Astronomers to Check Mysterious Interstellar Object for Signs of Technology

leolady

Maybe this is part of that NASA announcement on Thursday? I hope they give us a good picture, the one provided seems to be an artistic rendering.

In other news, SETI was believed to pick up sounds from outer space that sounded for all the world like "FETCH", Observations from past the object seem to indicate a massively large object moving at breakneck speeds towards this object.

Radio signals? They're probably using some sort of quantum instant comms but radios? It's like trying to see if they're using smoke signals to communicate and move on after finding nothing.

originally posted by: Aliensun
a reply to: bgerbger

Our astronomers and intel people are not fools. They know exactly when things don't fit into a natural explanation. And this one doesn't. They've evidently learned something and now have to officially look at it which required going somewhat public with engaging this massive telescope that, as such instruments go, have a work schedule usually set months if not years in advance.

Even if this thing is entirely natural, it presents a nice drill for the public, an excellent educational example of how things could turn out any day as we probe and push our instruments into the cosmos. Except this one strangely enough came to visit on its own.

Please provide a citation where "our astronomers and intel people" claim that it does not fit into a natural explanation.

From what I see our astronomers think that it is most likely of natural origin.

the needle in an haystack?

a reply to: KiwiNite

An intelligent technical society that wanted to send a message millions of light years away would probably choose a passive low energy consuming vehicle. I'd expect plenty of Earth based probing radiation to identify the shape and material though. So they are leaving a lot out of this story.

Well it could function as a transporter for a alien probe
We do it our self..
Perhaps aliens would find the shape interesting just as we do and put something on it

Very interesting cigar like craft UFOs have been seen for the last few decades, could scientists have spotted a real ufo by themselves? IF its the real thing discloure for real is coming?

originally posted by: Jesushere
Very interesting cigar like craft UFOs have been seen for the last few decades, could scientists have spotted a real ufo by themselves? IF its the real thing discloure for real is coming?

A real UFO ?

You mean a interplanetary alien spacecraft

a reply to: moebius

I thought it was that no-one has found an asteroid shaped like this in our solar system before.

So, do you have an explanation as to the apparently unique shape of this object?

originally posted by: Plotus
In other news, SETI was believed to pick up sounds from outer space that sounded for all the world like "FETCH", Observations from past the object seem to indicate a massively large object moving at breakneck speeds towards this object.

Lol, good boy Fido.

Rendezvous with Rama?

Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke

Just an aside here. This object was mentioned during a radio program this morning...and how it orbited the Earth!!...and could be an alien ship.

Really??

And the presenter who said this probably earns more in a week than I do in a year!

originally posted by: Spacespider

originally posted by: Jesushere
Very interesting cigar like craft UFOs have been seen for the last few decades, could scientists have spotted a real ufo by themselves? IF its the real thing discloure for real is coming?

A real UFO ?

You mean a interplanetary alien spacecraft

The long cigar shaped UFO's are the interstellar transporters. The circular UFO's are the local exploration craft for Earth and other planets.