California Telescope Looks for Alien Flashes
(From the November/December 2001 issue of StarDate magazine)
Astronomers are using a powerful new method in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). “We are looking for brief but powerful pulses of laser light from other planetary systems, rather than the steady whine of a radio transmitter,” said Frank Drake, chairman of the SETI Institute. Newly outfitted, the 40-inch Nickel Telescope at Lick Observatory should be able to detect laser beacons from civilizations light-years away — but only if they’re signaling precisely in our direction. This new “optical SETI” system includes three detectors, virtually eliminating false alarms. The Universities of California at Santa Cruz and Berkeley are collaborating with the SETI Institute on the project.
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