There’s no question that the search for life elsewhere is a profound enterprise in human history.
As the quest continues to search and find other planets circling other stars, the hunger to find out just how crowded the universe is out there also grows. The search for extraterrestrial intelligence – SETI for short – is part of that expedition into the unknown.
Today the SETI Institute of Mountain View, California announced the launch of SETIstars.org, a new initiative.
That effort is geared to bring the unique Allen Telescope Array (ATA) back into search mode. Earlier this year, a lack of funds curtailed its search activities, forcing the ATA into hibernation.
What is the ATA?
The array comprises 42 telescopes in Northern California able to scan for radio signals from outer space.
“We are very excited to be launching SETIstars.org today,” said Jill Tarter, Director of the SETI Institute’s Center for SETI Research.
SETI Institute research seeks answers to questions, such as: Are we alone? How long can a species survive the technology of its own making?
The ATA is the only instrument available full time for listening for radio signals from possible intelligent sources. Without it, humankind may never find the answers to these questions.
“By putting this site online, we are taking the first step toward allowing the general public to take a more personal stake in the future of one of the most important scientific endeavors in the history of humankind,” Tarter stated in a press statement.
Kepler candidates
In addition to donating, visitors to the site can learn more about the ATA and the SETIstars project.
“The launch of SETIstars could not come at a more crucial time,” said Tarter. She pointed to NASA’s Kepler Mission that enables — for the first time in human history — where to direct the telescopic scans towards planet candidates in the habitable zone around their parent star.
“It is exactly the wrong time for the telescope to go dark,” Tarter added. “But given the outpouring of support already, I’m invigorated by the idea that we will be able to continue the work.”
To transmit your own SETI support, go to:
https://setistars.org/
By Leonard David