CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The Green Bank Telescope yet again found a use in the search for extraterrestrial “technosignatures,” or signs of alien technology, that may be using Morse code-like broadcasts to communicate across the galaxy.
The Breakthrough Listen Investigation for Periodic Spectral Signals (BLIPSS) mission was launched to try and uncover periodic radio bursts emanating from the Milky Way’s galactic center. The galactic center was chosen as a target due to its high concentration of stars and potentially habitable exoplanets.
“If an alien civilization wanted to communicate with other civilizations throughout the Milky Way, the galaxy’s core holds potential as a strategic site for a beacon,” said a release from the Green Bank Observatory.
The project was led by Cornell Graduate student Akshay Suresh who wanted to look for periodic radio transmissions because of their greater energy efficiency compared to a continuous signal. The Green Bank Telescope was used to search for repeating high-frequency signals, which researchers believe could signify deliberate attempts at communication between civilizations.
Although the mission did not find any of the signals they were looking for, BLIPSS is the first-ever comprehensive effort to conduct an in-depth search for these kinds of signals, according to the release.
More information on the BLIPSS project can be found at the Seach for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute (SETI) website, and the full research paper can be read here.
