Since the publication of this post on 2 December 2020 it appears that Arecibo observatory may be rebuilt. Although the $8 million pledged by the Puerto Rico Rico government is clearly not enough https://www.engadget.com/puerto-rico-approves-8-million-to-rebuild-arecibo-telescope-155454170.html I was saddened to see that the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico has closed following catastrophic damage to its cables and… Continue reading Arecibo Update
In recent years there has been an increase in interest in SETI (the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). SETI now has its own telescope, an array of 42 separate radio dishes known as the Allen Telescope Array. The Allen Telescope Array In 2016 the Breakthrough Listen programme started and is expected to run for ten… Continue reading Reasons for the Great Silence
Nearly 40 years ago, on 20 August 1977, the Voyager 2 space probe was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a mission to study the Solar System's four outermost planets. It was followed 15 days later by the launch of an identical spacecraft, Voyager 1. The Voyager spacecraft -Image from NASA Although Voyager 1 was… Continue reading Voyager 40th anniversary
This post is about the zoo hypothesis, a term coined in 1973 by the astronomer John Ball, but the idea had been in existence for decades before then. The zoo hypothesis states that there are many advanced and intelligent alien civilisations out there, but they hide their existence from us so that they they do not interfere with our… Continue reading The zoo hypothesis
On 14 July 2015 the New Horizons Spacecraft will fly past the dwarf planet Pluto which lies on the edge of our Solar System. This is the culmination of a nine and half year voyage which started when it was launched in back in January 2006. Artist's Impression of New Horizons passing Pluto - Image… Continue reading New Horizons
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