Scientists have added a new one to the studies carried out to detect potential technological traces (techno-signatures) that extraterrestrial intelligent life may leave in the universe. In the latest research carried out using the huge FAST (Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope) in China, 33 different potential planetary systems were examined.
The scope of the study focused especially on radio signals that are too narrow-band to be produced by natural cosmic events and may be of artificial origin.
REMARKABLE TRANSMISSION FROM THE K2-155 SYSTEM
Although most of the large-scale scans were inconclusive, a signal coming from the red dwarf star system called K2-155, located approximately 238 light years away from the Earth, was caught on the researchers’ radar.
Thanks to advanced machine learning algorithms and filtering systems, a significant portion of man-made radio interference has been eliminated. However, the signal detected from K2-155 caused great excitement in the scientific world with its extraordinary properties.
THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE: RADIO POLLUTION FROM THE WORLD
The biggest difficulty in capturing such weak signals coming from the depths of space is the technological density on Earth. Radio frequency pollution created by satellites, airplanes, mobile phones and terrestrial communication networks often clouds the accuracy of astronomical observations.
Thanks to the versatile receivers and advanced filtering algorithms integrated into the FAST telescope, the researchers were able to filter out most of this human-caused noise. Although it has not yet been declared that definitive evidence of “extraterrestrial life” has been found, it is emphasized that these new methods provide a groundbreaking feature to future deep space scans.
