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Australia To Play Strategic Role in Biggest Ever Search For Extra-Terrestrial Life (abc.net.au)

Posted by msmash on from the final-frontier dept.

Australia's role in the biggest ever search for alien life has officially begun, with the Parkes Telescope in central west NSW set to play a strategic part in the 10-year journey. From a report on ABC:The $100 million Breakthrough Listen initiative has been underway in the United States for about nine months. Overnight, the telescope -- affectionately known as the Dish -- achieved first light with an observation of an Earth-sized planet orbiting the nearest star to our Sun, Proxima Centauri. According to CSIRO program director John Reynolds, that so-called "exo-Earth" would be a good place to start looking for other life forms. "Alpha Centauri, or its little companion, Proxima Centauri, is actually the closest star to Earth -- it's only 4.3 light years away," Dr Reynolds said. "Just this year a planet was discovered around Proxima Centauri -- it's called an exo-Earth because it has some of the properties of Earth."

9 of 25 comments (clear)

  1. The Galaxy Song by Harold+Halloway · · Score: 2

    "...And pray that there's intelligent life somewhere out in space,
    'Cause there's bugger all down here on Earth."

    1. Re:The Galaxy Song by KingBenny · · Score: 1

      a men
      im reading up on over a month of backlog slashdot and my original reaction is yea, you can clearly see when the elections were over by the lack of racial slur on top of every post, was that skankhunt42
      off topic .. YAY, its good to hear some good news from the prison colony for once
      wtg ,
      mates :p

      --
      Free speech was meant to be free for all... how can anyone grow up in a nanny state ?
  2. Makes sense by ausekilis · · Score: 3, Funny

    If any humans know how to live in a hostile environment where damn near every animal can kill you, it's the Australians.

    1. Re:Makes sense by quenda · · Score: 1

      Funny, but a myth. Other continents have wolves, bears, lions ... land predators that will tear you apart. Nothing like that in Australia.
      Here the dangerous predators are all in the oceans - sharks & saltwater crocodiles, and other dangers - box jelly fish and blue-ring octopus. So easily avoided.

      Nobody dies from spider-bite since anti-venom was invented. India has 10,000 times as many snake-bite deaths. Yes, ten thousand times.
      Just beware the dropbears and Southern Hoop Snake.

  3. If you're looking for aliens by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Point your telescopes at DC.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  4. Defense strategy by halivar · · Score: 2

    If the aliens are hostile, we hope they land in Australia, see the wildlife, and bug out.

  5. Re:Only 4.3 light years? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The Oort cloud of Solar system is believed to reach as far as 3.2ly. That means Alpha and Proxima Centauri stars are so close that we don't even have to exit our Oort cloud before we are already inside their respective clouds.

  6. CSIRO is to freedom what Sauron was to sweetness by gavron · · Score: 2

    If CSIRO is involved you can bet whatever they find they'll coat it with so many layers of "intellectual property" nobody will be able to get it without paying through the nose. CSIRO is pure evil.

    http://arstechnica.com/tech-po...

    E

  7. Re: Only 4.3 light years? by popo · · Score: 1

    Someone hasn't been reading the news lately.

    --
    ------ The best brain training is now totally free : )