An unusual light pattern, but no signals yet.
By Raif Karerat
A star system that has been a source of speculation about extraterrestrial intelligence has offered only radio silence.
The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) has been monitoring an unusual light pattern in a star system for more than two weeks, reported CNN.
The system, KIC 8462852, colloquially referred to as Tabby’s Star, has been under scrutiny since its unusual light fluctuation was discovered a few years back by users of the online astronomy crowdsourcing site Planet Hunters.
SETI Institute started investigating the star after learning that the Kepler team had provided data indicating an atypical light pattern emanating from the region.
In order to peer into the depths of the cosmos, SETI utilized the Allen Telescope Array — located in the Cascade Mountains in California — to search for two different typed of radio signals that might serve as markers for a technologically advanced species.
The first type of radio signals, narrow-band signals, theoretically emit a “hailing signal†that a civilization would use if it wanted to announce its presence. They are most often sought in radio experiments, according to the SETI Institute.
The second type — broadband signals — might be present if there was an ancient alien structure in the star system.
“There is estimated to be in our galaxy alone a trillion planets. And we can see 100 billion galaxies,†senior astronomer Seth Shostak told CNN.. “It’s believed that one in 10 stars may have a habitable world capable of supporting life. That’s a lot of real estate,†he added.