Do aliens exist? Manchester’s Jodrell Bank Observatory joins forces with Breakthrough Initiatives in quest to find extraterrestrial life

BRITISH stargazers are set to take part in an international quest to find evidence of intelligent alien life beyond Earth.

The Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at The University of Manchester has signed a partnership with Breakthrough Initiatives, a project designed to answer the greatest question in the universe.

“Jodrell Bank is a superb observatory with an outstanding track record of astronomical discoveries,” said Pete Klupar, director of engineering for the Breakthrough Initiatives.

“We are proud to be working with them to focus on one of the great unsolved questions in science.”

Professor Michael Garrett added: “The opportunity to work directly with colleagues involved in Breakthrough Listen is an important step forward in getting the UK back into the SETI [search for extraterrestrial intelligence] business.”

The Breakthrough Listen scheme is “the most comprehensive astronomical search for intelligent life ever undertaken”.

It also uses two of the world’s biggest radio telescopes: the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia, USA, and the Parkes Observatory in New South Wales, Australia.  as well as the Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory in California, USA, which searches for laser signals.

The Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory in California, which searches for laser signals, is also involved.

 

You may also like...