Captain Kirk would have been all over that.
Posted on 08/26/2025 10:24:30 AM PDT by BenLurkin
For decades, astronomers have searched for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence using radio telescopes and optical instruments, scanning the skies for artificial signals. Now, researchers are taking a different approach, this time looking much closer to home for alien artefacts that might already be in our Solar System.
A new study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society describes an innovative method for detecting potential extraterrestrial probes near Earth. Their approach; to use Earth's shadow as a natural filter to eliminate interference from human-made satellites and space debris.
Modern skies are cluttered with thousands of satellites and millions of pieces of reflective debris, making it extremely difficult to spot anything unusual.
This 'contamination' poses a major challenge for anyone trying to identify non human objects in space. Lead researcher Beatriz Villarroel from Stockholm University and her international team needed a way to filter out this noise.
This is why they turned to the Earth's shadow. Every night, Earth casts a cone-shaped shadow into space where direct sunlight cannot reflect off satellites or debris.
This creates an ideal 'clean' search zone. The shadow's base spans roughly 8-9 degrees for objects at geosynchronous orbit, about 35,700 kilometers (22,200 miles) above Earth.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencealert.com ...
Alien probes are much more interested in Uranus.
Thank goodness there are no alien probes around Uranus.
“Every night, Earth casts a cone-shaped shadow into space “
What is the speed of dark?
Darkness falls with fell swiftness.
“I’m being followed by an Earth shadow
Earth shadow, Earth shadow...”
Here is a head scratcher for you:
Is it cooler at the Sun’s polar regions that it is at the Sun’s equator?
Don’t mind him. He takes himself way too seriously.
Hildabeast knows where a probe is.
Ridiculous,,,,,,scientists have been looking for aliens for thousands of years and expending billions of dollars hunting them......there are no aliens...................
I don’t, he just keeps sticking his own foot in is own... No skin off my nose, he is the one who has to wipe his own boots off... :)
Sad it took 21 posts to get there.
It also had Gabby Drake and SkyDiver.
Is that one under your bed...???
Might have one under my bed...!!!
—
You’re bed might be one - think about that!
Captain Kirk would have been all over that.
Well, she wasn’t green. 8~)
The earth’s shadow is always there. What changes is the part of the earth which is facing away from the sun.
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