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17 Jun 2002
New Harvard observatory takes optical search for extraterrestrial intelligence (OSETI) forward.
A telescope that is designed to scan the skies for pulsed laser signals from alien life forms is being built at Harvard University, Massachusetts, US. Set to begin operation early next year, the 1.8 m diameter optical telescope will be dedicated exclusively to the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) mission and will be housed in a new observatory at Harvard.
Once operational, the new optical SETI observatory will search for brief pulses of light across the entire northern sky once every 200 clear nights. Its camera will use an array of 1024 ultrafast detectors to observe a strip of sky, seeking flashes of light as short as one-billionth of a second.
Prof. Paul Horowitz of Harvard University, the project leader, said: "Using only 'Earth 2001' technology, we can generate a beamed laser pulse that appears 5000 times as bright as our sun that could be seen by a distant civilization. In other words, interstellar laser communication is altogether practicable. The new optical SETI telescope will allow us to search the entire northern sky for signs of intelligent life elsewhere in the galaxy."
SETI projects aimed at listening for radio signals from alien life forms have so far yielded nothing; it is hoped that the optical SETI telescope might increase the chances of detecting messages from alien beings.
The Planetary Society is funding the project with a USD 350,000 grant, raised through contributions from its members.
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