August 23rd 2023.
Forty years ago, astronomers had a dream of making contact with an extraterrestrial species. Professors Masaki Morimoto and Hisashi Hirabayashi beamed a signal into the cosmos with 13 images depicting the history of life on Earth, the structure of DNA, and our solar system.
Dr Shin-ya Narusawa of the University of Hyogo, Japan, led a team to scan the skies for a response to the message, with the earliest possible time of arrival being now. Altair, a bright star 16.7 light-years away in the Aquila constellation, was the target of their search.
Unfortunately, no response was heard last night, but this doesn't mean that one will never arrive. The signal was sent out into the universe, so it could still be received by any alien species out there.
If a message is ever received, the International Academy of Astronautics has strict protocols to be followed. The discoverer of the message must inform the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, and a wide range of other international bodies and personnel. After that, the findings can be shared with the public, with the discoverer having the privilege of announcing the news first.
However, they are not allowed to send a reply before international consultations have taken place. Dr Narusawa says that it will take a long time to analyse all the data, but after 40 years, a few extra days to decide on a response won't make much difference.
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