WE ARE NOT ALONE

‘Strong Signal’ in Space Spurs Talk of Extraterrestrials

Possible beacon picked up from 95 light-years away.

A group of astronomers says a radio telescope in Russia has detected a “strong signal” of life in a star system about 95 light-years from Earth, spurring talk of extraterrestrial beings. The signal, which was detected by the RATAN-600 radio telescope in rural Zelenchukskaya last year, has only now been made public. The signal came from HD164595, a solar system centered on a star a few billion years older than the sun. Although experts say the signal isn’t definitive proof of extraterrestrial life, it’s certainly got astronomers talking, and the topic is set to be discussed at the 67th International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Sept. 27. “Working out the strength of the signal, the researchers say that if it came from an isotropic beacon, it would be of a power possible only for a Kardashev Type II civilization,” said Paul Gilster, author of the Centauri Dreams website, which covers deep space exploration. Kardashev Type II refers to a civilization far more advanced than our own.