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From: dipper@utastro.UUCP (Debbie Byrd)
Newsgroups: net.astro
Subject: StarDate: March 7 Project Sentinel's Anniversary
Message-ID: <1065@utastro.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 7-Mar-85 02:00:22 EST
Article-I.D.: utastro.1065
Posted: Thu Mar  7 02:00:22 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 10-Mar-85 06:57:22 EST
Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX
Lines: 37

Astronomers are listening with radio telescopes for signs of
extraterrestrial civilizations.  More -- after this.

March 7 Project Sentinel's Anniversary

Today is the second anniversary of an ambitious project to look for
other intelligent life in the universe.  Project Sentinel -- funded by
the Planetary Society -- is searching specific radio frequencies that
might be in use as interstellar communication channels.

There are a vast number of such possible channels.  Astronomers have
tried to narrow down their listening choices to certain plausible radio
frequencies -- ones that would be recognized and might be selected by
any technologically advanced species.  One such universal channel is
the radiation frequency of neutral hydrogen atoms -- since hydrogen is
the simplest and most abundant element in the universe.  Still, even if
we pick and choose, there's an enormous range of signals to check.

In 1983 Project Sentinel brought Harvard University's 84-foot radio
telescope out of retirement -- and put it to work listening
continuously -- day and night -- for possible radio emissions from
other civilizations.  A frequency analyzer divides the information
collected from the radio telescope into one hundred and twenty-eight
thousand separate bands -- and each band is checked for strong or
unusual electronic patterns that could be carriers of interstellar
communication.  This year Project Sentinel astronomers plan to expand
its monitoring capacity to eight million channels.

So far we've heard nothing from another civilization.  If there are
other advanced lifeforms -- then perhaps we haven't tuned in at the
right time on the right channel in the right direction in space --
yet.

Script by Diana Hadley.


(c) Copyright 1984, 1985 McDonald Observatory, University of Texas at Austin