Aliens at Proxima Centauri? A New Radio… - The Planetary Society

Scientists studying archival data collected by the Parkes radio telescope in Australia say they have found a radio signal that came from the direction of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to Earth. Proxima Centauri has at least one planet that may be habitable to life as we know it. There is a slim chance that the signal came from extraterrestrial beings, though other explanations are far more likely.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and no one—including the astronomers analyzing the data—are claiming they’ve found aliens. A paper analyzing the findings is not expected to be published until early 2021, so there’s a lot we don’t know. But as is often the case with exciting science results, the news leaked early: The Guardian broke the story on 18 December, the scientists involved spoke publicly to Scientific American, and experts at the SETI Institute have reacted.

Finding life beyond Earth is one of The Planetary Society’s core interests, so we are following the story and have provided this guide to help you interpret the news. Regardless of the outcome, findings like these are important steps of the scientific process. We encourage caution and skepticism, while noting it’s natural to feel excited as you consider the existence of life on other worlds and ponder your place in space.

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