Aliens may be waiting until a cosmic version of “high noon” to send out their signals to us, scientists have suggested.
In a new study, researchers hunted for technological signs of E.T. during the moments when exoplanets pass directly in front of their suns, from Earth’s point of view. These exact moments could be the perfect chance for an alien world to beam out a signal to Earthlings in an attempt to make contact.
“Exoplanetary transits are special because they can be calculated by both us on Earth, as the observers, and also any potential technological species in the exoplanetary system itself, as the transmitters,” said study leader Sofia Sheikh, a postdoctoral researcher in radio astronomy at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute. These transits, then, are a predictable and repetitive time during which aliens might think to send messages and Earthlings might look to receive them.
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