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Indian Express
a day ago
- Science
- Indian Express
Can aliens spy on Earth? Scientists say our radar systems could give us away
Alien astronomers, even with inadequate technology, could recognise the radio signals from airports on Earth. This was revealed in an upcoming study that shows how aliens may be able to spy on us using our radio signals. According to a study headed by researcher Ramiro Caisse Saide of the University of Manchester, radar systems used to monitor aircraft at major airports like Heathrow in London and JFK in New York may generate radio waves powerful enough to be detected by extraterrestrial civilisations up to 200 light-years away. The researchers examined how radio waves from military and civilian radar operations travelled outside Earth. This was done to predict how they would seem when they reached nearby stars. According to the findings that were presented at the National Astronomy Meeting (NAM) 2025 in Durham, UK, signals emitted from airports across the world are over 2,000 trillion watts. This is powerful enough to detect extraterrestrial planets that are 200 light-years away using the Green Bank Telescope, which happens to be the most sensitive telescope in the world and is located in Virginia, US. By carefully simulating how these radar signals spread out from Earth over time and space, the researchers looked at how visible they would be from nearby stars such as Barnard's Star and AU Microscopii. Out of roughly 1,000 star systems in that range, the nearest potentially habitable world beyond our solar system is Proxima Centauri b which is only 4.2 light-years away. Another key question is whether an astronomer from another planet could comprehend what we are communicating and seeing. The signal wouldn't be artificial because it would seem to rise and fall throughout a 24-hour period when several airports came into view of the extraterrestrial astronomers due to Earth's rotation. Additionally, the study contributes to those on Earth who are searching for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence in estimating how far away they would be able to spot a civilisation that is comparable to our own. 'By learning how our signals travel through space, we gain valuable insights into how to protect the radio spectrum for communications and design future radar systems,' co-researcher Professor Michael Garret was quoted as saying by the Royal Astronomical Society. Military radar systems, which are more focused, create a unique pattern – like a lighthouse beam. They have an accumulated peak emission reaching about 1×1014 watts in a given field of view of the observer. This, according to the researchers, is weaker than airport radar. Caisse Saide, a PhD student, added, 'In this way, our work supports both the scientific quest to answer the question, 'Are we alone?' and practical efforts to manage the influence of technology on our world and beyond.'
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Science
- Gizmodo
Aliens Can Detect Earth's Airports From 200 Light-Years Away
Humans might not know of any intelligent beings beyond Earth, but if they exist, they might already know about us. New research shows that radar systems at commercial and military airports are inadvertently announcing our presence to any aliens with the ability to listen. Preliminary results from a study led by Ramiro Caisse Saide, an astrophysics PhD candidate at the University of Manchester, suggest extraterrestrials up to 200 light-years away could theoretically detect electromagnetic signals leaking from global airline hubs such as John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Heathrow Airport in London. Military radar systems are also detectable, and thanks to their unique pattern, these signals would look 'clearly artificial to anyone watching from interstellar distances with powerful radio telescopes,' Caisse Saide said in a statement. 'In fact, these military signals can appear up to a hundred times stronger from certain points in space, depending on where an observer is located,' he added. 'Our findings suggest that radar signals—produced unintentionally by any planet with advanced technology and complex aviation system—could act as a universal sign of intelligent life.' It's important to note, however, that it will take many more years for signals to reach any extraterrestrial civilizations located 200 light-years away from Earth. Airports and military operations have only been emitting signals of this strength since the 1950s, and therefore, the maximum distance at which aliens could currently detect them is about 75 light-years in all directions. Seeing as we live in an unfathomably vast, ancient universe with billions of trillions of planets and moons, it stands to reason that we aren't the only intelligent lifeforms in it. Humanity's desire to contact extraterrestrials dates back more than 150 years. The first real communication attempt took place in 1974, when astronomers beamed a radio signal from a powerful transmitter at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico into space. This signal, known as the Arecibo message, consisted of binary code that conveyed information about the basic chemicals of life, the structure of DNA, Earth's place in the solar system, and even a stick figure of a human. If any aliens received it, they haven't responded. That hasn't discouraged scientists from trying to find them. Those working on the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) do this passively, scanning space for electromagnetic signals that can't be explained by natural phenomena. Others have taken a more active approach by intentionally transmitting signals or messages to space, like the Arecibo message. These efforts are called METI (Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence) or CETI (Communication with Extraterrestrial Intelligence). Not everyone believes this is a good idea. Detractors point out that telling aliens where we are could have disastrous consequences if these beings are capable of harming us or our planet. That's a scary thought. Perhaps even more frightening is the fact that Earth is unwittingly shouting out our existence and location to any radar-detecting extraterrestrial civilizations within earshot. To get an idea of just how noisy our planet is, Caisse Saide and his colleagues simulated how radar signals from airports proliferate across time and space, then analyzed how detectable they would be from stars such as Barnard's Star and AU Microscopii. These stars are located roughly 6 and 32 light-years away from the Sun, respectively. They found that airport radar systems, which sweep the skies for airplanes to inform air traffic control, send out a combined radio signal strong enough for aliens to detect it from up to 200 light-years away using telescopes similar to the Green Bank radio telescope in West Virginia. That's a vast distance. The nearest potentially habitable planet outside our solar system—Proxima Centauri b—is just over 4 light-years away, and it would still take humanity's most advanced spacecraft tens of thousands of years to get there. Signals from Earth's military radar systems are weaker, but more focused and directional, creating an obviously artificial pattern similar to a lighthouse beam sweeping the sky. It's important to note, however, that it will take many more years for signals to reach any extraterrestrial civilizations located 200 light-years away from Earth. Airports and military operations have only been emitting signals of this strength since the 1950s, and therefore, the maximum distance at which aliens could currently detect them is about 75 light-years in all directions. But the point of the study stands; aliens located on a planet 200 light-years away should be able to detect airport signals—but not for another 125 years. Understanding how intelligent extraterrestrials might become aware of our existence can also help guide our search for them, according to Caisse Saide. Identifying and characterizing our own planet's technosignatures, or detectable signs of technology, can tell astronomers what to look for from other planets, he said. At the same time, 'we gain valuable insights into how to protect the radio spectrum for communications and design future radar systems,' said co-researcher Michael Garrett, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Manchester, in the statement. 'The methods developed for modeling and detecting these weak signals can also be used in astronomy, planetary defense, and even in monitoring the impact of human technology on our space environment.' 'In this way, our work supports both the scientific quest to answer the question 'Are we alone?' and practical efforts to manage the influence of technology on our world and beyond,' Caisse Saide said.
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Airports like Heathrow and Gatwick could help ALIENS spot Earth, new research shows
Here on Earth, scientists use huge radio telescopes to scan the skies for signs of advanced alien civilisations hiding out in space. But what if the aliens are doing the same thing? Scientists have revealed that radar systems at airports and military bases would shine out like cosmic beacons for any watching civilisations. This means airports like Gatwick and Heathrow could be revealing our presence to aliens. Research presented at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting simulated how Earth would look to an alien civilisation if they had state-of-the-art radio telescopes like our own. This revealed that a civilisation would not need to be particularly advanced or particularly nearby to spot the signals leaking from Earth's airports. Professor Michael Garrett, an astrophysicist from the University of Manchester and director of the Jodrell Bank radio telescope, told MailOnline: 'I don't think they need to be more than a few hundred years more advanced than we are. 'So they don't need to be something like a 'Star Trek civilisation' way more advanced than us, just to detect our signals.' Radar systems, like those used at airports, detect planes by sending out beams of radio waves and measuring how they bounce back from distant objects. But as radar systems look for planes, those beams of radio waves also leak out into space. Professor Garrett and lead author Ramiro Caisse Saide, a PhD candidate at the University of Manchester, looked at how this invisible electromagnetic radiation would look from beyond the planet. They found that Earth's civilian airports alone reach peak emission intensities of two billion megawatts. This is so strong that a radio telescope comparable to the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia could pick up the signal from 200 light years away. For context, the nearest plausibly habitable world to Earth is Proxima Centauri B, located just four light years from Earth. Although it would still take thousands of years to get there with our current technology, it is well within the range needed to pick up our radio signals. The radar signals emitted by military installations would be an even stronger giveaway of humans' presence in the universe. 3Even as far as AU Microscopii, a star located 31.7 light-years from the sun, Earth's airports would light up like cosmic beacons to any watching civilisation Unlike civilian radar, military systems have a much more focused beam which sweeps the sky like a lighthouse. Depending on where the observer is located, these signals can be up to 100 times stronger than those emitted by an airport. Mr Saide says that these would look 'clearly artificial to anyone watching from interstellar distances with a powerful radio telescope.' To any alien civilisation who might be watching, this 'technosignature' would be a clear sign of intelligent life on Earth. 'Our findings suggest that radar signals - produced unintentionally by any planet with advanced technology and complex aviation systems - could act as a universal sign of intelligent life.' However, the researchers say there's no need to start shutting down the airports over fears of an alien invasion. Professor Garrett says: 'The likelihood is that technical civilisations are quite rare and perhaps they don't persist very long. Civilisations rise and fall, and if you are bound to a planet, resources are limited. 'So the Universe is big, it's also really old, and if technical civilisations are short-lived, they can come and go in our own Galaxy all the time, but never overlap long enough to detect each other. 'So I'd say, we shouldn't worry too much about radar powers - of course I might be wrong!' The more exciting implication of these findings is that Earth's radio signals might give us a hint at what to look for in our own search for extraterrestrial life. Generally, most research projects looking for alien technosignatures scan for powerful signals in narrow bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. These simulations show that weaker broad-band signals like radar emissions can also be a clear sign of intelligent life. The only issue is that an extra 100 years of advancement might give aliens forms of technology we struggle to detect or even recognise. However, Professor Garret remains hopeful that spotting intelligent life remains possible. He says: 'I think AI will push our own civilisation further forward by a huge amount in the next 30 years, the detection of an extraterrestrial signal might just be around the corner.' How the Drake Equation is used to hunt aliens The Drake Equation is a seven-variable way of finding the chance of active civilizations existing beyond Earth. It takes into account factors like the rate of star formation, the amount of stars that could form planetary systems, the number potentially habitable planets in those systems. The equation includes recent data from Nasa's Kepler satellite on the number of exoplanets that could harbor life. Researchers also adapted the equation from being about the number of civilizations that exist now, to being about the probability of civilization being the only one that has ever existed. Researchers found the odds of an advanced civilization developing need to be less than one in 10 billion trillion for humans to be the only intelligent life in the universe. Unless the odds of advanced life evolving on a habitable planet are astonishingly low, then humankind is not the only advanced civilization to have lived. But Kepler data places those odds much higher, which means technologically advanced aliens are likely to have existed at some point.
Scottish Sun
09-07-2025
- Science
- Scottish Sun
Aliens could use Heathrow Airport as homing beacon to find us & experts reveal how long it might take them to get here
LONGEST HAUL Aliens could use Heathrow Airport as homing beacon to find us & experts reveal how long it might take them to get here Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) HUMANS have been searching for aliens for decades - but all this time, intelligent extraterrestrial life could have found us, according to a new study. Heathrow Airport has been acting as a sort of homing beacon to find us, experts at have revealed at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2025) in Durham. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 This artist's impression shows the rocky planet Proxima Centauri b - Earth's closest potentially habitable planet 6 This artist's impression shows the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri But it's not just Heathrow - the largest and busiest airport in the UK, but Gatwick and New York's JFK International Airport, too. All civilian airports and military bases that use radar systems have been inadvertently revealing our existence to potential advanced alien civilizations, new research suggests. If aliens are equipped with state-of-the-art radio telescopes like our own - they would be able to spot hidden electromagnetic leakage from these Earth sites up to 200 light-years away. The study also suggests that 200 light-years is just how far humans would be able to look to spot aliens who have evolved to use a similar level of technology. As airport radar systems sweep the skies for airplanes, they send out a combined radio signal of 2x1015 watts, the researchers said. 6 But it's not just Heathrow - the largest and busiest airport in the UK, but Gatwick and New York's JFK International Airport, too Credit: Getty 6 Airport radar systems sweep the skies for airplanes Credit: Getty That's enough power to be picked up as far as 200 light-years away by telescopes as strong as the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, the world's biggest fully steerable radio telescope. For context, the nearest potentially habitable world beyond our solar system is Proxima Centauri b, which is 4 light-years away. And while it would take thousands of years to get there with today's technology, there are a number of potentially habitable worlds in that distance. Lead researcher Ramiro Caisse Saide, of the University of Manchester, said these signals would look "clearly artificial to anyone watching from interstellar distances with powerful radio telescopes." First ever bombshell vid of infamous 'Mosul orb' UFO is released The Ph.D student added: "In fact, these military signals can appear up to a hundred times stronger from certain points in space, depending on where an observer is located. "Our findings suggest that radar signals - produced unintentionally by any planet with advanced technology and complex aviation system - could act as a universal sign of intelligent life." By simulating how these radar signals emit from Earth over time and space, the researchers looked at how visible they would be from nearby stars. The research may help guide other scientists on identifying promising technosignatures emitted by alien worlds, Saide explained. Co-researcher, Professor Michael Garrett, of the University of Manchester, added: "By learning how our signals travel through space, we gain valuable insights into how to protect the radio spectrum for communications and design future radar systems. "The methods developed for modeling and detecting these weak signals can also be used in astronomy, planetary defence, and even in monitoring the impact of human technology on our space environment." 6 If aliens are equipped with state-of-the-art radio telescopes like our own - they would be able to spot hidden electromagnetic leakage from these Earth sites up to 200 light-years away Credit: Getty 6 The research may help guide other scientists on identifying promising technosignatures emitted by alien worlds, Saide explained Credit: Getty All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is Earth? Plus other facts on our planet How many moons does Mercury have? What colour is Venus? How far away is Mars to Earth? And other facts on the red planet How big is Jupiter? How many moons does Saturn have? Does Uranus have rings? How many moons does Neptune have? How big is Pluto? How hot is the Sun?
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Science
- The Irish Sun
Aliens could use Heathrow Airport as homing beacon to find us & experts reveal how long it might take them to get here
HUMANS have been searching for aliens for decades - but all this time, intelligent extraterrestrial life could have found us, according to a new study. Heathrow Airport has been acting as a sort of homing beacon to find us, experts at have revealed at the Royal Astronomical Society's National Astronomy Meeting (NAM 2025) in Durham. Advertisement 6 This artist's impression shows the rocky planet Proxima Centauri b - Earth's closest potentially habitable planet 6 This artist's impression shows the planet Proxima b orbiting the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri But it's not just Heathrow - the largest and busiest airport in the UK, but Gatwick and New York's JFK International Airport, too. All civilian airports and military bases that use radar systems have been inadvertently revealing our existence to potential advanced alien civilizations, new research suggests. If aliens are equipped with state-of-the-art radio telescopes like our own - they would be able to spot hidden electromagnetic leakage from these Earth sites up to 200 light-years away. The study also suggests that 200 light-years is just how far humans would be able to look to spot aliens who have evolved to use a similar level of technology . Advertisement READ MORE ON SPACE As airport radar systems sweep the skies for airplanes, they send out a combined radio signal of 2x10 15 watts, the researchers said. 6 But it's not just Heathrow - the largest and busiest airport in the UK, but Gatwick and New York's JFK International Airport, too Credit: Getty 6 Airport radar systems sweep the skies for airplanes Credit: Getty That's enough power to be picked up as far as 200 light-years away by telescopes as strong as the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, the world's biggest fully steerable radio telescope. Advertisement For context, the nearest potentially habitable world beyond our solar system is Proxima Centauri b, which is 4 light-years away. And while it would take thousands of years to get there with today's technology, there are a number of potentially habitable worlds in that distance. Most read in Science Exclusive Exclusive Lead researcher Ramiro Caisse Saide, of the University of Manchester, said these signals would look "clearly artificial to anyone watching from interstellar distances with powerful radio telescopes." First ever bombshell vid of infamous 'Mosul orb' UFO is released The Ph.D student added: "In fact, these military signals can appear up to a hundred times stronger from certain points in space, depending on where an observer is located. Advertisement "Our findings suggest that radar signals - produced unintentionally by any planet with advanced technology and complex aviation system - could act as a universal sign of intelligent life." By simulating how these radar signals emit from Earth over time and space, the researchers looked at how visible they would be from nearby stars. The research may help guide other scientists on identifying promising technosignatures emitted by alien worlds, Saide explained. Co-researcher, Professor Michael Garrett, of the University of Manchester, added: "By learning how our signals travel through space, we gain valuable insights into how to protect the Advertisement "The methods developed for modeling and detecting these weak signals can also be used in astronomy, planetary defence, and even in monitoring the impact of human technology on our space environment." 6 If aliens are equipped with state-of-the-art radio telescopes like our own - they would be able to spot hidden electromagnetic leakage from these Earth sites up to 200 light-years away Credit: Getty 6 The research may help guide other scientists on identifying promising technosignatures emitted by alien worlds, Saide explained Credit: Getty All you need to know about planets in our solar system Our solar system is made up of nine planets with Earth the third closest to the Sun. But each planet has its own quirks, so find out more about them all... How old is How many moons does What colour is How far away is How big is How many moons does Does How many moons does How big is How hot is the Advertisement
