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The study leveraged the MWA’s expansive field of view (FOV), enabling researchers to observe approximately 2,800 galaxies in a single session.
The This new approach goes further, looking at distant galaxies. This new approach looks at distant galaxies, making it one of the most detailed searches for supercivilizations—those more advanced than ours. To send a signal from another galaxy, a civilization would need technology powerful enough to use the energy of their sun or several stars in their galaxy. “This work represents a significant step forward in our efforts to detect signals from advanced extraterrestrial civilizations,” said Tremblay. “The large field of view and low-frequency range of the MWA makes it an ideal tool for this kind of research, and the limits we set will guide future studies.” While this first study did not find any technosignatures (signs of alien technology), it provides insights that will help focus future searches. It shows how important it is to keep exploring different radio frequencies and using the unique capabilities of telescopes like the MWA. “The MWA continues to open up new ways of exploring the Universe for intelligent civilizations and technosignatures, while using the same data to study the astrophysics of stars and galaxies. This work is new and novel, but also paves the way for future observations with even more powerful telescopes,” said Tingay, who is also the Director of the MWA. This research highlights the importance of working together internationally and using advanced technology to expand our understanding of the Universe. The SETI Institute explores the cosmos for signs of intelligent life and works to increase our knowledge of the universe. Reference: “An Extragalactic Widefield Search for Technosignatures with the Murchison Widefield Array” by C. D. Tremblay and S. J. Tingay, 26 August 2024, The DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad6b11MWA: Ideal Tool for SETI Research