New Atlas

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Say hello to Hippocamp, Neptune's newest moon

Michael Irving February 20, 2019

Neptune's collection of moons has officially grown to 14. Originally discovered in 2013 and designated S/2004 N 1, this tiny world is described more accurately in a new paper, which also gives it an origin story and, finally, a catchier name. Say hello to Hippocamp.

An illustration of Hippocamp, a newly-discovered moon of Neptune

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SETI confirms that 'Oumuamua isn't signalling us

David Szondy December 5, 2018

After a year of analysis, the SETI Institute has concluded that 'Oumuamua, the first interstellar object known to have visited our Solar System, isn't trying to make radio contact with us.

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Could we – and should we – build a laser lighthouse to make first contact with aliens?

Michael Irving November 6, 2018

Whether there’s life beyond Earth is one of the most profound questions we can ask. Making ourselves easier to find could be part of our first contact strategy. A new MIT study outlines a way to use existing or near-future tech to build a kind of laser lighthouse to signal to our cosmic neighbors.

An MIT study proposes building a laser lighthouse to signal to alien astronomers up to 20,000 ...

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It looks like `Oumuamua is just a big rock after all

David Szondy December 15, 2017

It looks as if the first interstellar asteroid may be just a big rock after all. The SETI initiative Breakthrough Listen announced that preliminary observations of `Oumuamua (A/2017 U1) show no sign that the 400 m (1,300 ft) long object is other than natural with no radio transmissions detected.

`Oumuamua is the first observed interstellar object to enter the Solar System

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Anybody out there? Musical message beamed to potentially-habitable exoplanet

Michael Irving November 16, 2017

While SETI is content to scan the skies for signals, Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) takes a more active approach. Radio transmissions containing snippets of music have been sent to a potentially-habitable planet about 12 light-years from Earth, in hopes of making first contact.

A musical message has been beamed to a potentially-habitable exoplanet nearby, in an attempt to make ...

Space Feature

Calling all aliens: What's the best way to contact our galactic neighbors?

David Szondy August 10, 2017

Humankind has long looked at the stars and wondered if there is intelligent life out there. And if so, could we contact them? There are a few options, but which has the greater chance of success? Sending radio messages or unmanned probes? Let's have a look.

Making contact with probes would be better than trying to start a conversation across 100 light ...

Space

ET not responsible for mystery stellar radio signals after all

Michael Irving July 23, 2017

Back in May, the Arecibo Observatory detected strange radio signals coming from Ross 128, a red dwarf star 11 light-years away. After analyzing the data closely with the help of the SETI project, the team has now revealed what they believe to be the source of the signals.

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, which recently picked up strange signals seemingly originating with the ...

Space

Networked eVscope would crowd-source amateur astronomy

David Szondy July 22, 2017

The SETI Institute, in partnership with French startup Unistellar, wants to up the game for amateur astronomers by marketing a computerized 4.5-in (11.4 cm) reflecting telescope called the "eVscope" that acts as a crowd-sourcing instrument.

The eVscope allows amateur astronomers to crowd source their observations

Space

Could mysterious radio signals be from ET?

David Szondy July 18, 2017

Is a mysterious radio signal received by the Arecibo Observatory a message from another civilization in our galaxy? Scientists at the Planetary Habitability Laboratory say it's highly unlikely, but the peculiar signals remain a mystery.

The signals from Ross 128 were picked up the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico

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SETI project wants to hunt laser-wielding ETs

David Szondy July 16, 2017

The Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence (SETI) focuses mainly on looking for radio signals from civilizations elsewhere in the galaxy, but the SETI Institute is taking a new approach – and it involves lasers.

The goal of the Laser SETI program it to look for signs of extraterrestrial civilizations using ...