b) Why are astronomers using radio telescopes looking for far stars instead of a telescope?
First of all, what is a radio telescope? The first non-visual spectral region that was used extensively for astronomical observations was the radio frequency band. Telescopes observing at these wavelengths are commonly called radio telescopes. Radio telescopes may be made much larger than optical/infrared telescopes because the wavelengths of radio waves are much longer than wavelengths of optical light. A rule of thumb is that the reflecting surface must not have irregularities larger than about 1/5 the wavelength of light that is being focused. By that criterion a radio telescope is several hundred thousand times easier to figure than an optical telescope of the same size
In the movie "Contact," astronomer Ellie Arroway, played by actress Jodie Foster, searches for signs of extraterrestrial life using massive, Earth-bound radio telescopes.
Much of Contact's scientific intrigue, based on Carl Sagan's 1985 bestseller, unfolds at two National Science Foundation-supported radio astronomy facilities where real-life astronomical mysteries continue to be probed. Scientists use the government-supported telescopes to detect radio waves not from distant civilizations but from planets, stars, galaxies and other objects in space. Radio observations extend astronomers' reach into space and time, letting them "see" through gas and dust in space to detect celestial objects whose visible light cannot be seen from Earth.
In "Contact," Foster hears the first guttural, throbbing message transmitted by other-worldly life using the world's most powerful radio telescope, the Very Large Array in Socorro, New Mexico, a collection of 27 antennas spread in a three-armed configuration across the desert. NSF’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory runs the huge dishes, which Foster manipulates in the film from her laptop computer like a high-tech, movable Stonehenge, in reality. Electronically linked to simulate a single radio telescope up to 20 miles in diameter, the antennas can be bunched together or moved apart along railroad tracks into different configurations. About 700 astronomers visit the VLA each year to observe the universe.
In "Contact," Foster gets her scientific start at another NSF-supported facility, the...
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... fastest moving man made objects in the process. If those same probes were to be launched to the stars, however, they would take thousands of years to reach them! The distances to the stars are huge So huge, in fact, that the light from the nearest star to the Sun, a triple star system known as Alpha, Beta and Proxima Centauri, takes over four and a quarter years to get here. Since, according to special relativity, nothing in the universe can travel faster than the speed of light, it would seem that travel times with even the most advanced starships are going to be extremely long indeed.
There are also highly exotic ideas, which lie on the tantalizing fringes of modern theoretical physics. If the universe is a multidimensional place with human beings only able to perceive three dimensions, perhaps a way can be found to shortcut through the 'higher' dimensions. These so-called wormholes are currently having their mathematics calculated by the theorists but if they can be utilized for travel then perhaps the entire universe will become accessible to us. Traveling to different planets may take no more time than traveling to different countries does now!
Contact, whether with those around us or those out in space, involves an image in one’s mind of the other being different. What Stanislaw Lem states in Solaris is that contact between humans and extra-terrestrial life is impossible until we change not only that mentality, but our reluctance to accept differences in one another.
In contrast to the Sherman Brother’s 1962 hit “It’s a Small World (After All)” the world is rather large. It has been theorized by an interactive New York Times article that around half of the stars in the sky are the centers of other solar systems. To an earlier point, it would simply be foolish to assume that
...; quest for new frontiers continues today as earthlings burst terrestrial bonds and begin the endless voyage beyond planet and galaxy into the illimitable dark.
Giuseppe Cocconi and Philip Morrison published a paper in Nature in September 1959, in which they suggest a probable frequency at which alien civilizations would attempt to communicate: 1.420 GHz. This is the frequency of electromagnetic radiation emitted by neutral Hydrogen during a change of energy state. The frequency is an important physical and astronomical value, would almost certainly be known by any civilization capable of communication, and it requires only relatively simple technology to broadcast at this frequency. As Cocconi and Morrison put it, “It is reasonable to expect that sensitive receivers for this frequency would be made at an early stage of the development of radioastronomy. That would be the expectation of the operators of the assumed source, and the present state of terrestrial instruments indeed justifies the expectation.” In other words, it makes sense that aliens would come to the same conclusion about the 1.420 GHz frequency. If the aliens want to communicate with us...
Chandler, David L. "The New Search for Alien Intelligence." Astronomy Sept. 2013: n. pag. Student Research Center. Web. 9 Mar. 2014.
In “The Great Silence” Ted Chiang presents the reader with the idea that humans and other intelligent species do live on earth. Communication between different species on earth can be difficult because they can’t express their thoughts to one another. According to a possible solution to fermi’s paradox, intelligent life would rather hide than to present themselves to potential enemies. Humans have a hard time trying to find other species to communicate with because they only focus on extraterrestrial life. Humans created the Arecibo observatory to send out signals into space and pick up any signals that could be sent by extraterrestrial life. Although Humans cannot speak directly to other species we are able to communicate with our actions and vibes.
International Masters Publishers (1999). Secrets of the Universe: Your guide to the cosmos…and beyond (Category 5: Roswell incident: Rumors of a cover-up) [card]. USA: International Masters.
A young astronomer by the name of Francis Drake agreed with the theories of Cocconi and Morrison. He proposed building a radio receiver in order to listen for waves of sound being transmitted through space. It wasn't until the spring of 1960 that Dra...
Contact from an un-identified being can be unnerving, however Dr. Ellie Arroway has spent years looking for other life form outside of Earth and when she first heard a possible message coming from the Vega star system she was ecstatic. After spending close to 10 years listening for radio signals Dr. Ellie had finally heard a message from a life from light years away. As news of the signal spread through the world, outbreaks of both panic and amusement occurred by everyone who heard. In the message was an encrypted video feed that included design plans for a wormhole generator. One trillion dollars later it was built and after a hard thought out vote, Dr. Ellie was nominated to be put in the machine. After two attempts she makes her two-hour journey through time toward the Vega galaxy. She arrives and sees the “alien,” who explains to her why they contacted earth. The “aliens” return Dr. Ellie and she comes back to earth with no evidence of the encounter. This causes a conflict with the people on whether to believe in her encounter with aliens.
In 1608 Hans Lippershey looked at Jupiter through a thin tube shaped object similar to a telescope. Galileo improved the telescope made by Hans in 1609 by adding a convex lens in the front. The telescope was built with a concave eyepiece and convex lenses. Telescopes were used for improving maps and figuring out the positions and motions of stars early on. Scientists believed that the bigger the lens of a telescope the better, so a man named George E. Hale had created a 100 inch telescope which was finished in 1917. Around the 1920s Edwin Hubble had looked through the telescope towards the sky and had discovered that our galaxy, the Milky Way, was not the only galaxy. He also discovered that our galaxy was expanding. Fifty years later the Hubble was funded to be built. The Hubble was supposed to be launched in 1983, but didn’t end up going into space until 1990. NASA launched the Hubb...
The idea of interstellar space travel has been discussed for many years between many scientists and engineers since 1950s (Adelman, 180). It has not only been discussed but also demonstrated in science fiction literature. By getting the knowledge of interstellar travel, people wonder when will we be able to travel between stars and if it is even possible to reach another star other than the sun. However, others wonder “what is the point of spending so much money on something that it isn’t possible?” or “why do we have to study another star when we have the sun that light our day?” The answers to those two questions are; one day our sun will become a red giant and end the life of earth and the second reason a nearby supernova can affect our solar system (Mallove, pg .4). In order to escape from these tragedies, we need to find a way to be transported to another star. Dr. Leslie Robert Shepherd, nuclear physicist and member of The British Interplanetary Society, first published a paper on “Interstellar Flight” in 1952. From then on The British Interplanetary Society kept the research on “Interstellar Space Travel” throughout its history (The Telegraph, 2012). Our research question is “Can we ever reach other stars other than the sun?” This paper will explain the challenges of interstellar flight, ways to travel into space and finally projects that had appeared during the years of research.
Human fascination with the stars is as ancient as Babylonians and has been suggested to be older than Stonehenge. From “be fruitful and multiply” to “live long and prosper,” the instinct to protect and propagate the species has manifested in religion, art, and the imaginations of countless individuals. As human understanding of space treks out of the fantastical and into the scientific, the realities of traveling through and living in space are becoming clearer. Exploring, investigating, and living in space pose an expansive series of problems. However, the solutions to the problems faced by mankind's desire to reach beyond the horizon, through the night sky, and into the stars are solutions that will help in all areas of life on Earth.
...t is that human reasoning abilities have allowed mankind to develop a virtual telescope far beyond the reach of our newest space viewing technologies. With this theory, humans come closer to realizing our place within the multiverse and the uniqueness of our own universe. The conflicting ideas, though difficult to prove one way or another, provide an impetus that will stimulate further research into this field, opening new doors and potentially useful technologies that could further humans’ understanding of everything on which our knowledge rests.
“Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.
One of the most common unanswered questions scientists find themselves asking is "Is there life on other planets?" Since the first famously documented UFO sighting in 1947, the idea of extra-terrestrial life has been debated almost non-stop. The subject has inspired many TV programs, such as The X-Files, and films (Mars Attacks, Independence Day, and the Men in Black films to name but a few). Scientists have come up with many new ideas and ways of trying to either prove or disprove the existence of life elsewhere.