Seti: signal could be from ET

AN enigmatic radio signal spotted on three separate occasions is the best candidate yet for a message from ET, it was claimed yesterday.

The signal has only been observed for about a minute in total, which is not long enough to allow astronomers to analyse it in detail.

It is unlikely to be the result of any obvious radio interference or noise, and does not bear the hallmark of any known astronomical object.

Other theories for what produced the odd signal are that it is a previously unknown astronomical phenomenon, or a glitch in the giant Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico that picked it up.

Alternatively, say experts involved in the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (Seti), it might really have been sent by aliens.

The signal is the most exciting discovery in the six-year history of the Seti@home project, which uses programs running as screensavers on millions of personal computers worldwide to sift through the vast amount of data from Arecibo.

“It’s the most interesting signal from Seti@home,” said radio astronomer Dan Werthaimer from the University of California at Berkeley. “We’re not jumping up and down, but we are continuing to observe it.”

The signal, named SHGbo2+14a, has a frequency of about 1420 megahertz, New Scientist magazine reported.

This happens to be one of the main frequencies at which hydrogen, the most common element in the universe, readily absorbs and emits energy.

Some experts argue that extraterrestrials trying to advertise their presence would be most likely to transmit at this frequency.

The transmission was said to be very weak.