In August 1983, astronomers sent a message to the star Altair in hopes of contacting extraterrestrial life. Today, there is a possibility that a response from intelligent beings living near Altair could be received. According to an update of the Drake equation published by researchers at the University of Nottingham, there are 35 other intelligent life forms in addition to humans in the Milky Way. Astronomers Masaki Morimoto and Hisashi Hirabayashi attempted to contact one of these civilizations in the 1980s by sending a message consisting of 13 images containing information about life on Earth and humans using a radio telescope at Stanford University.
The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that a response to the message sent to Altair could be received today from extraterrestrial beings living near the star, which is 16.7 light-years away from Earth. An observatory in Saku, Nagano Prefecture, plans to receive possible response signals for an hour starting at 10:00 p.m. local time (3:00 p.m. CEST). Due to the distance and the timing of the original message, astronomers expect a response around this time. Interestingly, this year’s Tanabata star festival in Japan falls on August 22, the same day as the observatory’s attempt to receive a response.
The expectation of a response is low, as the original message was sent in the 1980s to celebrate the anniversary of the Japanese manga magazine Sh?kan Sh?nen Jump. Hirabayashi admitted in 2008 that they were slightly intoxicated when they came up with the idea. “I believe in aliens, but they are very difficult to find,” he said. However, the feedback and interest, especially from students, that the astronomers received made the endeavor worthwhile.
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