Signs Of Extraterrestrial Intelligence Could Be Detected In Offaly, Ireland
Science/Medical/Technology
Tuesday 11th, October 2022
A former NASA director has said that a telescope in county Offaly, Ireland could be the first to detect signs of extraterrestrial life.
The iLOFAR Telescope at Birr Castle detects low-frequency radio waves from space.
Professor Peter Gallagher, head of the Radio Telescope Project in Birr who is gave a talk at Dunsink Observatory in Castleknock, Dublin on Monday the 10th of October 2022 to a sold out audience with Professor Pete Worden, former director of Nasa's Ames Research Centre.
The telescope is run by a consortium of astrophysicists in Ireland and is part of a European network of similar telescopes.
Prof Worden said, "Two years ago, we thought we had our first signal, it came from the Parkes Radio telescope in Australia We are now pretty much convinced that was (caused by) interference, but it is just as likely that the next one will be from the I-LOFAR (in Birr)."
"It is virtually certain that we are going to find life, both in our solar system, we have a number of places we're looking and a life-bearing planet around one of the nearby stars, within a decade,"
Professor Evan Keane said, "After I stopped pinching myself, I would do what all scientists do when they think they have detected something. I would try my darnedest to disprove it, ruling out all different types of possible obscure, obfuscating signals."
Professor believes that it may be possible for Birr to receive the historical signal if extraterrestrial life decided to communicate using radio frequencies below 250 megahertz.
The iLOFAR Telescope at Birr Castle detects low-frequency radio waves from space.
Professor Peter Gallagher, head of the Radio Telescope Project in Birr who is gave a talk at Dunsink Observatory in Castleknock, Dublin on Monday the 10th of October 2022 to a sold out audience with Professor Pete Worden, former director of Nasa's Ames Research Centre.
The telescope is run by a consortium of astrophysicists in Ireland and is part of a European network of similar telescopes.
Prof Worden said, "Two years ago, we thought we had our first signal, it came from the Parkes Radio telescope in Australia We are now pretty much convinced that was (caused by) interference, but it is just as likely that the next one will be from the I-LOFAR (in Birr)."
"It is virtually certain that we are going to find life, both in our solar system, we have a number of places we're looking and a life-bearing planet around one of the nearby stars, within a decade,"
Professor Evan Keane said, "After I stopped pinching myself, I would do what all scientists do when they think they have detected something. I would try my darnedest to disprove it, ruling out all different types of possible obscure, obfuscating signals."
Professor believes that it may be possible for Birr to receive the historical signal if extraterrestrial life decided to communicate using radio frequencies below 250 megahertz.
