My actual UFO sighting. Occured summer of 1967, August I believe while checking the boat after large storm at our community boat docks in the Hocking Hills. On the dam, a click sound was heard and across the valley a hillside cow pasture was completely illuminated by a beam of light from the sky. The cows all begin to moo. There was no visible source for the light, no aircraft noise or other lights. After a short period of time the light was gone and again there was no sign of an aircraft. My dad and brother witnessed this along with me. We would fly at that time with our summer Pastor and family friend. And shortly after that my dad got his pilots license and years later my brother became a pilot too. So we were familiar with aircraft. We never did find out what that was with the light beam but that was during the Vietnam War and the hills seemed a test area for aircraft from the Lockborne airbase. One day at about the same time our boat tracked and flown over by a large transport plane. We finally made a game of it by trying to hide behind hills and under the trees in coves but we were flown over, low, slow and from the blind side of the hill every time. Just in recent years I was talking to a former employee of the North American / Rockwell plant in Columbus. He said they had a super quiet prop plane project at around the time of our UFO sighting. Guess it could fly around Columbus at night, undetected. So who knows?
Aliens are Coming
- Thread starter NQ1965
- Start date
NQ1965
PR Elite
Info on UFO sightings not to go public, Navy says
https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-guidelines-on-ufo-reports-not-to-be-released-to-public-navy
By Bradford Betz
Published May 02, 2019
Fox News
The U.S. Navy has drafted new guidelines for collecting information on UFO sightings, but the information won't be made public, according to a Tuesday report.
A Navy spokesman told The Washington Post that the reporting on UFOs would fall under "privileged and classified information" so that military aviation safety organizations can “preserve the free and honest prioritization and discussion of safety among aircrew.”
The new guidelines for reporting "UFOs" came in response to unknown, advanced aircraft flying into or near Navy strike groups or other sensitive military facilities and formations, the Navy said.
"For safety and security concerns, the Navy and the [U.S. Air Force] takes these reports very seriously and investigates each and every report,” the Navy said in a statement released to Politico.
The Navy has in recent years stressed the new need for a more formalized process of recording “UFO” sightings – which proliferated after World War II. The service said in 2017 it had run a secret “UFO” office and spent $22 million over five years to study “anomalous aerospace” threats.”
But for now, the data “remains strictly within classified channels,” said Luis Elizondo, an intelligence officer who ran the Pentagon’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, which officially ended in 2012, according to The Post.
https://www.foxnews.com/us/new-guidelines-on-ufo-reports-not-to-be-released-to-public-navy
By Bradford Betz
Published May 02, 2019
Fox News
The U.S. Navy has drafted new guidelines for collecting information on UFO sightings, but the information won't be made public, according to a Tuesday report.
A Navy spokesman told The Washington Post that the reporting on UFOs would fall under "privileged and classified information" so that military aviation safety organizations can “preserve the free and honest prioritization and discussion of safety among aircrew.”
The new guidelines for reporting "UFOs" came in response to unknown, advanced aircraft flying into or near Navy strike groups or other sensitive military facilities and formations, the Navy said.
"For safety and security concerns, the Navy and the [U.S. Air Force] takes these reports very seriously and investigates each and every report,” the Navy said in a statement released to Politico.
The Navy has in recent years stressed the new need for a more formalized process of recording “UFO” sightings – which proliferated after World War II. The service said in 2017 it had run a secret “UFO” office and spent $22 million over five years to study “anomalous aerospace” threats.”
But for now, the data “remains strictly within classified channels,” said Luis Elizondo, an intelligence officer who ran the Pentagon’s Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program, which officially ended in 2012, according to The Post.
NQ1965
PR Elite
UFOs are time machines from the future, professor claims
https://www.foxnews.com/science/ufos-are-time-machines-from-the-future-professor-claims
The fascination with UFOs and whether life exists outside of Earth has intrigued humanity for centuries. But one professor at Montana Tech believes the fascination may run deeper than that.
He believes UFOs are time machines from the future.
Dr. Michael Masters, a biological anthropologist specializing in human evolutionary anatomy, archaeology, and biomedicine, suggests that people view UFOs largely the same way and uses his background to back up his controversial claim. “The phenomenon may be our own distant descendants coming back through time to study us in their own evolutionary past,” Masters said in an interview with Montana's KXLF.com.
He continued: “The extra-tempestrial are ubiquitously reported as being bipedal, upright-walking, five fingers on each hand and foot, bi-lateral symmetry that they have two eyes, a mouth a nose, they can communicate with us in our own languages.”
Masters discusses the topic in detail in his new book, "Identified Flying Objects," which he says is written just as much for his "academic peers as much as it is for anyone in the UFO community.”
With the book, Masters hopes that the topic of extraterrestrial life and UFOs can "get past some of the stigma and not have to defend this as science because it is very scientific as well.”
Renewed interest
There has been a renewed interest in extraterrestrial life, due in part to revelations over the past few years that the U.S. government had funded a secret project at the Pentagon at the request of former Sen. Harry Reid.
In late 2017, both the New York Times and Politico reported of the existence of the Pentagon’s now-defunct Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. The Times said the UFO program began in 2007, while Politico reported in began in 2009.
Both outlets said Reid’s interest in UFOs was the result of friend and donor Bob Bigelow, who owns Bigelow Aerospace and has said before he is “absolutely convinced” aliens exist and UFOs have visited Earth.
The New York Times said the program had a $22 million annual budget and “most of the money” went to Bigelow’s research company, which hired subcontractors and solicited research for the program.
Following the Times report, Reid tweeted "the truth is out there" (a nod to the show, "The X-Files), adding that if "anyone says they have the answers, they’re fooling themselves."
A Pentagon spokesman said the UFO program ended in 2012, though The Times said the Defense Department still investigates potential episodes of unidentified flying objects.
Earlier this year, the Pentagon released newly declassified documents that revealed the Department of Defense funded projects that investigated UFOs, wormholes, alternate dimensions and a host of other subjects that are often the topics of conspiracy theorists.
https://www.foxnews.com/science/ufos-are-time-machines-from-the-future-professor-claims
The fascination with UFOs and whether life exists outside of Earth has intrigued humanity for centuries. But one professor at Montana Tech believes the fascination may run deeper than that.
He believes UFOs are time machines from the future.
Dr. Michael Masters, a biological anthropologist specializing in human evolutionary anatomy, archaeology, and biomedicine, suggests that people view UFOs largely the same way and uses his background to back up his controversial claim. “The phenomenon may be our own distant descendants coming back through time to study us in their own evolutionary past,” Masters said in an interview with Montana's KXLF.com.
He continued: “The extra-tempestrial are ubiquitously reported as being bipedal, upright-walking, five fingers on each hand and foot, bi-lateral symmetry that they have two eyes, a mouth a nose, they can communicate with us in our own languages.”
Masters discusses the topic in detail in his new book, "Identified Flying Objects," which he says is written just as much for his "academic peers as much as it is for anyone in the UFO community.”
With the book, Masters hopes that the topic of extraterrestrial life and UFOs can "get past some of the stigma and not have to defend this as science because it is very scientific as well.”
Renewed interest
There has been a renewed interest in extraterrestrial life, due in part to revelations over the past few years that the U.S. government had funded a secret project at the Pentagon at the request of former Sen. Harry Reid.
In late 2017, both the New York Times and Politico reported of the existence of the Pentagon’s now-defunct Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program. The Times said the UFO program began in 2007, while Politico reported in began in 2009.
Both outlets said Reid’s interest in UFOs was the result of friend and donor Bob Bigelow, who owns Bigelow Aerospace and has said before he is “absolutely convinced” aliens exist and UFOs have visited Earth.
The New York Times said the program had a $22 million annual budget and “most of the money” went to Bigelow’s research company, which hired subcontractors and solicited research for the program.
Following the Times report, Reid tweeted "the truth is out there" (a nod to the show, "The X-Files), adding that if "anyone says they have the answers, they’re fooling themselves."
A Pentagon spokesman said the UFO program ended in 2012, though The Times said the Defense Department still investigates potential episodes of unidentified flying objects.
Earlier this year, the Pentagon released newly declassified documents that revealed the Department of Defense funded projects that investigated UFOs, wormholes, alternate dimensions and a host of other subjects that are often the topics of conspiracy theorists.
NQ1965
PR Elite
And Again:
Pentagon finally admits it investigates UFOs
By , Steven Greenstreet
Published May 22, 2019
New York Post
The Pentagon has finally uttered the words it always avoided when discussing the possible existence of UFOs — “unidentified aerial phenomena” — and admits that it still investigates reports of them.
In a statement provided exclusively to The Post, a Department of Defense spokesman said a secret government initiative called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program “did pursue research and investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena.”
And while the DOD says it shut down the AATIP in 2012, spokesman Christopher Sherwood acknowledged that the department still investigates claimed sightings of alien spacecraft.
“The Department of Defense is always concerned about maintaining positive identification of all aircraft in our operating environment, as well as identifying any foreign capability that may be a threat to the homeland,” Sherwood said.
“The department will continue to investigate, through normal procedures, reports of unidentified aircraft encountered by US military aviators in order to ensure defense of the homeland and protection against strategic surprise by our nation’s adversaries.”
File photo - a 'UFO' sighting over Sheffield, U.K, March 4, 1962 (CIA).
Nick Pope, who secretly investigated UFOs for the British government during the 1990s, called the DOD’s comments a “bombshell revelation.”
Pope, a former UK defense official-turned-author, said, “Previous official statements were ambiguous and left the door open to the possibility that AATIP was simply concerned with next-generation aviation threats from aircraft, missiles and drones — as skeptics claimed.
“This new admission makes it clear that they really did study what the public would call ‘UFOs,’ ” he said.
“It also shows the British influence, because UAP was the term we used in the Ministry of Defence to get away from the pop culture baggage that came with the term ‘UFO.’ ”
John Greenewald Jr. — whose website The Black Vault archives declassified government documents on UFO reports, “Bigfoot” sightings and other subjects — also called the Pentagon’s use of the term “unidentified aerial phenomena” unprecedented in its frankness.
“I’m shocked they said it that way, and the reason is, is they’ve seemingly worked very hard not to say that,” he said.
“So I think that’s a pretty powerful statement because now we have actual evidence — official evidence — that said, ‘Yes, AATIP did deal with UAP cases, phenomena, videos, photos, whatever.'”
Greenewald said he hopes that the Pentagon will release more information about the AATIP, either by voluntary disclosure or through requests under the federal Freedom of Information Act.
“But at least we’re one step closer to the truth,” he said.
The existence of the AATIP was revealed in 2017, along with a 33-second DOD video that shows an airborne object being chased by two Navy jets off the coast of San Diego in 2004.
At the time, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) took credit for arranging $22 million in annual funding for the AATIP, telling the New York Times that it was “one of the good things I did in my congressional service.”
Reid’s home state of Nevada hosts the top-secret military installation known as “Area 51,” long rumored to be the storehouse for an alien craft that crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.
Reid, through a spokeswoman, declined to comment.
Additional reporting by Bruce Golding
This story originally appeared in the New York Post.
Pentagon finally admits it investigates UFOs
By , Steven Greenstreet
Published May 22, 2019
New York Post
The Pentagon has finally uttered the words it always avoided when discussing the possible existence of UFOs — “unidentified aerial phenomena” — and admits that it still investigates reports of them.
In a statement provided exclusively to The Post, a Department of Defense spokesman said a secret government initiative called the Advanced Aerospace Threat Identification Program “did pursue research and investigation into unidentified aerial phenomena.”
And while the DOD says it shut down the AATIP in 2012, spokesman Christopher Sherwood acknowledged that the department still investigates claimed sightings of alien spacecraft.
“The Department of Defense is always concerned about maintaining positive identification of all aircraft in our operating environment, as well as identifying any foreign capability that may be a threat to the homeland,” Sherwood said.
“The department will continue to investigate, through normal procedures, reports of unidentified aircraft encountered by US military aviators in order to ensure defense of the homeland and protection against strategic surprise by our nation’s adversaries.”
File photo - a 'UFO' sighting over Sheffield, U.K, March 4, 1962 (CIA).
Nick Pope, who secretly investigated UFOs for the British government during the 1990s, called the DOD’s comments a “bombshell revelation.”
Pope, a former UK defense official-turned-author, said, “Previous official statements were ambiguous and left the door open to the possibility that AATIP was simply concerned with next-generation aviation threats from aircraft, missiles and drones — as skeptics claimed.
“This new admission makes it clear that they really did study what the public would call ‘UFOs,’ ” he said.
“It also shows the British influence, because UAP was the term we used in the Ministry of Defence to get away from the pop culture baggage that came with the term ‘UFO.’ ”
John Greenewald Jr. — whose website The Black Vault archives declassified government documents on UFO reports, “Bigfoot” sightings and other subjects — also called the Pentagon’s use of the term “unidentified aerial phenomena” unprecedented in its frankness.
“I’m shocked they said it that way, and the reason is, is they’ve seemingly worked very hard not to say that,” he said.
“So I think that’s a pretty powerful statement because now we have actual evidence — official evidence — that said, ‘Yes, AATIP did deal with UAP cases, phenomena, videos, photos, whatever.'”
Greenewald said he hopes that the Pentagon will release more information about the AATIP, either by voluntary disclosure or through requests under the federal Freedom of Information Act.
“But at least we’re one step closer to the truth,” he said.
The existence of the AATIP was revealed in 2017, along with a 33-second DOD video that shows an airborne object being chased by two Navy jets off the coast of San Diego in 2004.
At the time, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) took credit for arranging $22 million in annual funding for the AATIP, telling the New York Times that it was “one of the good things I did in my congressional service.”
Reid’s home state of Nevada hosts the top-secret military installation known as “Area 51,” long rumored to be the storehouse for an alien craft that crashed in Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947.
Reid, through a spokeswoman, declined to comment.
Additional reporting by Bruce Golding
This story originally appeared in the New York Post.
NQ1965
PR Elite
NEED TO SEE VIDEO ON FOX NEWS TODAY
Former US defense official: We know UFOs are real - here's why that's concerning
https://www.foxnews.com/science/christopher-mellon-official-ufo-sightings-real
Former US defense official: We know UFOs are real - here's why that's concerning
https://www.foxnews.com/science/christopher-mellon-official-ufo-sightings-real
Double D
PR Founding Father
I think they are here to make Kawasaki’s run again!
NQ1965
PR Elite
So according to this retired defense department official, the United States Navy has publicly acknowledged that they are having regular encounters with unidentifiable flying spacecrafts. Almost everyday for over two years. And they're corresponding with our international allies who are experiencing the same?
I'll be the first to admit it's hard to just buy into all of this at face value, and let go of doubt and disbelief. The government and military has given us a thousand reasons to distrust them, but it's a little bit more difficult to question the word of our military pilots, aviation professionals and members from the Defense Department.
I'll be the first to admit it's hard to just buy into all of this at face value, and let go of doubt and disbelief. The government and military has given us a thousand reasons to distrust them, but it's a little bit more difficult to question the word of our military pilots, aviation professionals and members from the Defense Department.
Last edited:
Double D
PR Founding Father
Yep. Maybe since the media and the dems made up a science fiction collusion story, they are writing a new alien invasion story.
Do you think Bernie Sanders will give them alien z free healthcare and college?? Social security? This opens a whole new can of worms.
How the hell do you build that wall?? Dome !
Dry Motos for life!
NQ1965
PR Elite
If these outer galaxy visitors have the technology and craftiness to build super high performance air/space craft, then that must mean that they have production facilities and workers on their home planet. Not to mention amazing building materials.
There's got to be some badazz dirt bike's there!
You'd have to wear a high-G suit for hard cornering.
There's got to be some badazz dirt bike's there!
You'd have to wear a high-G suit for hard cornering.
GeorgiePorgie
PR Founding Father
It’s probably Russia and China.
NQ1965
PR Elite
Today on FoxNews
Harry Reid wants hearings on what the military knows about UFOs: 'They would be surprised how the American public would accept it'
https://www.foxnews.com/science/harry-reid-hearings-military-ufos
Nearly two years after it was reported that the Pentagon set up a secret program to investigate UFOs at the request of former Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, the former senator is clamoring for Congress to look into what the military knows about their existence.
Speaking with Nevada's KNPR, Reid said he wishes lawmakers would hold public hearings into what the military knows.
"They would be surprised how the American public would accept it," he said during the wide-ranging interview. "People from their individual states would accept it."
===================
Last month, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Christopher Mellon told Fox & Friends the Navy has a right to be concerned about the unexplained sightings.
"We know that UFOs exist. This is no longer an issue," said Mellon, who has written on the topic and is associated with the History Channel series, 'Unidentified.' "The issue is why are they here? Where are they coming from and what is the technology behind these devices that we are observing?"
There are indications, Mellon said, that the objects reported by Navy pilots in 2014 and 2015 and mentioned in a bombshell report by the New York Times were doing things that aren't possible in this physical realm.
The speeds that were reported (about 5,000 miles per hour, according to Mellon) were only sustainable for about an hour by an aircraft in the air, and these objects would be flying around all day long, the pilots said.
"Pilots observing these craft are absolutely mystified and that comes through clearly in their public statements," Mellon continued.
Harry Reid wants hearings on what the military knows about UFOs: 'They would be surprised how the American public would accept it'
https://www.foxnews.com/science/harry-reid-hearings-military-ufos
Nearly two years after it was reported that the Pentagon set up a secret program to investigate UFOs at the request of former Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, the former senator is clamoring for Congress to look into what the military knows about their existence.
Speaking with Nevada's KNPR, Reid said he wishes lawmakers would hold public hearings into what the military knows.
"They would be surprised how the American public would accept it," he said during the wide-ranging interview. "People from their individual states would accept it."
===================
Last month, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Christopher Mellon told Fox & Friends the Navy has a right to be concerned about the unexplained sightings.
"We know that UFOs exist. This is no longer an issue," said Mellon, who has written on the topic and is associated with the History Channel series, 'Unidentified.' "The issue is why are they here? Where are they coming from and what is the technology behind these devices that we are observing?"
There are indications, Mellon said, that the objects reported by Navy pilots in 2014 and 2015 and mentioned in a bombshell report by the New York Times were doing things that aren't possible in this physical realm.
The speeds that were reported (about 5,000 miles per hour, according to Mellon) were only sustainable for about an hour by an aircraft in the air, and these objects would be flying around all day long, the pilots said.
"Pilots observing these craft are absolutely mystified and that comes through clearly in their public statements," Mellon continued.
GeorgiePorgie
PR Founding Father
I’m not scared. Aliens can be killed by simply swinging a bat into half full glasses of water.
NQ1965
PR Elite
Trump says he was briefed on Navy sightings of UFOs; 'Do I believe it? Not particularly'
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tr...ings-of-ufos-do-i-believe-it-not-particularly
President Trump said he's been briefed by Navy pilots regarding sightings of unidentified flying objects, but remained skeptical of the existence of UFOs.
George Stephanopoulos of ABC News raised the issue during an interview with Trump released Saturday.
"I was struck in the last few couple of weeks, we're reading more and more reports of Navy pilots seeing lots and lots of UFOs," Stephanopoulos said to a smiling Trump. "Have you been briefed on that? What do you make of it?"
"I want them to think whatever they think," Trump replied, referring to the Navy pilots. "I did have one very brief meeting on it. But people are saying they’re seeing UFOs. Do I believe it? Not particularly."
The Navy recently announced it would update guidelines for how its pilots report "unidentified aircraft" in response to reports of strange New York Times.
The new protocol doesn't mean Navy officials believe in UFOs, but "rather that the strange sightings warrant an investigation and need to be formally documented."
Asked if he knew if there were evidence of extraterrestrial life, Trump said "I think our great pilots would know. And some of them see things a little bit different from the past. We’re watching, and you’ll be the first to know."
=========================================
NQ1965's thinking on this is that even if Trump does find this concerning and believable, he has to be extra cautious in saying so. The media would have a field day with it.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tr...ings-of-ufos-do-i-believe-it-not-particularly
President Trump said he's been briefed by Navy pilots regarding sightings of unidentified flying objects, but remained skeptical of the existence of UFOs.
George Stephanopoulos of ABC News raised the issue during an interview with Trump released Saturday.
"I was struck in the last few couple of weeks, we're reading more and more reports of Navy pilots seeing lots and lots of UFOs," Stephanopoulos said to a smiling Trump. "Have you been briefed on that? What do you make of it?"
"I want them to think whatever they think," Trump replied, referring to the Navy pilots. "I did have one very brief meeting on it. But people are saying they’re seeing UFOs. Do I believe it? Not particularly."
The Navy recently announced it would update guidelines for how its pilots report "unidentified aircraft" in response to reports of strange New York Times.
The new protocol doesn't mean Navy officials believe in UFOs, but "rather that the strange sightings warrant an investigation and need to be formally documented."
Asked if he knew if there were evidence of extraterrestrial life, Trump said "I think our great pilots would know. And some of them see things a little bit different from the past. We’re watching, and you’ll be the first to know."
=========================================
NQ1965's thinking on this is that even if Trump does find this concerning and believable, he has to be extra cautious in saying so. The media would have a field day with it.
NQ1965
PR Elite
Betting the Bank on it:
Project: BREAKTHROUGH LISTEN
https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/
from Wikipedia:
Breakthrough Listen
Breakthrough Listen is a project to search for intelligent extraterrestrial communications in the Universe.[1][2] With $100 million in funding and thousands of hours of dedicated telescope time on state-of-the-art facilities,[3] it is the most comprehensive search for alien communications to date.[1][2] The project began in January 2016, and is expected to continue for 10 years.[4] It is a component of Yuri Milner's Breakthrough Initiatives program. The science program for Breakthrough Listen is based at Berkeley SETI Research Center,[5][6] located in the Astronomy Department[7] at the University of California, Berkeley.
The project uses radio wave observations from the Green Bank Observatory and the Parkes Observatory, and visible light observations from the Automated Planet Finder.[8] Targets for the project include one million nearby stars and the centers of 100 galaxies. All data generated from the project are available to the public, and SETI@Home is used for some of the data analysis. The first results were published in April 2017, with further updates expected every 6 months.[6]
Overview[edit]
The project aims to discover signs of extraterrestrial civilizations by searching stars and galaxies for radio signals and laser transmissions. The search for radio signals is carried out on the Green Bank Telescope in the Northern Hemisphere and the Parkes Telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. The Green Bank Telescope is the world's largest steerable radio telescope, and the Parkes Telescope is the second largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere.[9][10]
Together, the radio telescopes will cover ten times more sky than previous searches and scan the entire 1-to-10 GHz range, the so-called "quiet zone" in the spectrum where radio waves are unobscured by cosmic sources or Earth's atmosphere.[11]
The radio telescopes are sensitive enough to detect "Earth-leakage" levels of radio transmission from stars within 5 parsecs,[4] and can detect a transmitter of the same power as a common aircraft radar from the 1,000 nearest stars.[12] The Green Bank Telescope began operations in January 2016, with the Parkes Telescope due to join it in October 2016.[4] The FAST radiotelescope in China also joined forces in October 2016 with the Breakthrough Initiatives to launch a coordinated search, including the rapid sharing of promising new signals for additional observation and analysis.[13]
The search for optical laser transmissions is carried out by the Automated Planet Finder of Lick Observatory.[14] The telescope has the sensitivity to detect a 100 watt laser from a star 25 trillion miles (4.25 light years) away.[12]
Project: BREAKTHROUGH LISTEN
https://breakthroughinitiatives.org/
from Wikipedia:
Breakthrough Listen
Breakthrough Listen is a project to search for intelligent extraterrestrial communications in the Universe.[1][2] With $100 million in funding and thousands of hours of dedicated telescope time on state-of-the-art facilities,[3] it is the most comprehensive search for alien communications to date.[1][2] The project began in January 2016, and is expected to continue for 10 years.[4] It is a component of Yuri Milner's Breakthrough Initiatives program. The science program for Breakthrough Listen is based at Berkeley SETI Research Center,[5][6] located in the Astronomy Department[7] at the University of California, Berkeley.
The project uses radio wave observations from the Green Bank Observatory and the Parkes Observatory, and visible light observations from the Automated Planet Finder.[8] Targets for the project include one million nearby stars and the centers of 100 galaxies. All data generated from the project are available to the public, and SETI@Home is used for some of the data analysis. The first results were published in April 2017, with further updates expected every 6 months.[6]
Overview[edit]
The project aims to discover signs of extraterrestrial civilizations by searching stars and galaxies for radio signals and laser transmissions. The search for radio signals is carried out on the Green Bank Telescope in the Northern Hemisphere and the Parkes Telescope in the Southern Hemisphere. The Green Bank Telescope is the world's largest steerable radio telescope, and the Parkes Telescope is the second largest telescope in the Southern Hemisphere.[9][10]
Together, the radio telescopes will cover ten times more sky than previous searches and scan the entire 1-to-10 GHz range, the so-called "quiet zone" in the spectrum where radio waves are unobscured by cosmic sources or Earth's atmosphere.[11]
The radio telescopes are sensitive enough to detect "Earth-leakage" levels of radio transmission from stars within 5 parsecs,[4] and can detect a transmitter of the same power as a common aircraft radar from the 1,000 nearest stars.[12] The Green Bank Telescope began operations in January 2016, with the Parkes Telescope due to join it in October 2016.[4] The FAST radiotelescope in China also joined forces in October 2016 with the Breakthrough Initiatives to launch a coordinated search, including the rapid sharing of promising new signals for additional observation and analysis.[13]
The search for optical laser transmissions is carried out by the Automated Planet Finder of Lick Observatory.[14] The telescope has the sensitivity to detect a 100 watt laser from a star 25 trillion miles (4.25 light years) away.[12]