Astronomy Picture of the Day -- A Message From Earth

NASA ^ | February 19, 2012 | (see photo credit)

[SunkenCiv]

Explanation: What are these Earthlings trying to tell us? The above message was broadcast from Earth towards the globular star cluster M13 in 1974. During the dedication of the Arecibo Observatory - still the largest single radio telescope in the world - a string of 1's and 0's representing the above diagram was sent. This attempt at extraterrestrial communication was mostly ceremonial - humanity regularly broadcasts radio and television signals out into space accidentally. Even were this message received, M13 is so far away we would have to wait almost 50,000 years to hear an answer. The above message gives a few simple facts about humanity and its knowledge: from left to right are numbers from one to ten, atoms including hydrogen and carbon, some interesting molecules, DNA, a human with description, basics of our Solar System, and basics of the sending telescope. Several searches for extraterrestrial intelligence are currently underway, including one where you can use your own home computer.

[SunkenCiv]

[Credit: Frank Drake (UCSC) et al., Arecibo Observatory (Cornell, NAIC)]

[SunkenCiv]

ETs know Earth as the "Lego Planet".

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[blueunicorn6]

If you read it backwards it says “Paul is dead.”

[cripplecreek]

Their response.

[ILS21R]

I remember that. NASA also put a communication disk on Voyager.

[I see my hands]

Seriously, I'm sure it's now considered racist.

[Mycroft Holmes]

I presume all of the data is visible in the image. If so, that is a rather sad little message to be spending the big bucks creating and sending.

[wxgesr]

Best post of the day....so far.

[Kratos]

I agree.. best post of the day, by far the one that is the most humorous and astute.

[TwoSue]

:)

[Fast Moving Angel]

Cool. Kinda looks like the design on a Navajo rug. (So does that mean the Navajo code talkers are sending messages into outer space? ;-) )

[RedMDer]

Tired of the disruptions?

[GATOR NAVY]

When they say broadcast, I wonder what the specifics are- like at what frequency, what power, etc. And what do they expect the signal strength to be when it eventually reaches M13? Would it be at a level we could detect ourselves? Or would it be lost in the self-produced noise of any civilization advanced enough to detect it in the first place?

[TheOldLady]

Neato.

And in 25,000 years, they may send us, well not us but our descendants, we hope if the apocalypse does not occur in the meantime, a return message that in 50,000
years we, well, not we but our descendants' descendants may even still be able to read if the entire earth hasn't been destroyed by the Demwits and their leftist policies.

Cool!

[Clay Moore]

My guess is they will send back the answer to everything, “42.”

[TheOldLady]

My guess is they will send back the answer to everything, “42.”

How delightful that we don't have to wait 50,000 years to know their answer!
"42!" Of course, I should have known that. [smiles]

[SunkenCiv]

Natural sources would be far louder than our entire sound and fury.