A recent study, published in the March 2024 edition of Acta Astronautica, suggests that aliens might be watching us and keeping a watchful eye on Earth‘s historical landmarks using their ultra-advanced telescopes. The study, titled “Are we visible to advanced alien civilizations?” authored by ZN Osmanov, a Research Affiliate at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) institute, proposes a theory that aliens could be observing our planet with a delay of at least 3,000 years due to the time it takes for light to traverse the vastness of space.
Osmanov’s research suggests that extraterrestrial civilizations could detect Earth’s activities from up to 3000 light-years away. This limitation is due to the time it takes for light to travel through space, as dictated by the laws of physics. In simpler terms, if aliens are watching us, their observations might be from a distant past, with a delay of at least 3000 years.
Alien Categories, Who’s Watching Us?
The study explores the idea that extraterrestrial beings may have the capability to observe structures and landmarks on Earth that date back to ancient civilizations such as the Romans, Greeks, Indians, and Egyptians. The focus lies on the detectability of our society by categorizing potential alien civilizations based on their technological advancements.
The proposed classifications are as follows:
- Type-I: Consumes all the energy incident on a planet from its star.
- Type-II: Utilizes the total energy of the star.
- Type-III: An advanced society that consumes the entire galactic energy.
How do these aliens spot us?
Osmanov’s study raises the critical question: “In particular, the question is: can the artefacts of our technological society be visible and potentially detectable by the telescopes of ETs?
“Since the question is to identify our society with civilization, the major focus should be on the search for large ships, buildings space satellites, etc. Such artefacts might easily be identified as artificial constructions.
“For this purpose, it is natural to focus on the visible light reflected from the corresponding objects. To identify an observed object with an artificial one, the best way is to spatially resolve it. Therefore, optical telescopes will be used.”
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