Donors help re-open mothballed telescopes searching for ET

Gerald · 08-17-11, 03:59 AM

The Allen Telescope Array closed in April this year.

Telescopes looking for extra terrestrial intelligence should re-open within weeks after donors replaced income lost in public funding cuts.

The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, had to shut the $30m (£18.3m) Allen Telescope Array in April.

Donors, including actress Jodie Foster, raised more than $200,000 (£122,000).

The 42 radio telescopes, in northern California, search space for potential signals from alien life forms.

Ms Foster was one of more than 2,400 people who contributed to the fund to save the Allen Telescope Array. She played the lead role of an astronomer looking for evidence of aliens in the 1997 film Contact.
Science Fiction into Science Fact

In a statement on the fund-raising website she explained her support: "The Allen Telescope Array could turn science fiction into science fact but only if it is actively searching the skies."

Another donor was the Apollo 8 astronaut, Bill Anders.

The SETI Institute says the fund should be enough to keep the telescopes operating until the end of the year, though the plan is still dependent on the institute receiving money from the US Air Force to track space debris that could damage satellites.

SETI Institute Astronomer Seth Shostak told BBC News, the deal with the Air Force is not yet done but he said he is fairly confident it will go through. Even then the money will need to be ratified by Congress and so there may be a delay. He hopes the array will re-open in September or October.

Thomas Pierson, SETI chief executive, agreed that a deal with the Air Force, combined with the donations, should allow the array to start listening for space chatter once again.

He said: "For those who are interested in understanding whether intelligent life might be out there elsewhere in our galaxy, the Allen Telescope Array and our SETI team doing the research are the best bet."

The array began operating in 2007 and is named after its major benefactor, Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. It consists of 42 dish-shaped antennas which work as a single radio telescope.

It is part of the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, run by the University of California, Berkeley. Originally the array was a joint project between SETI Institute and the UC Berkeley Astronomy Laboratory but Berkeley had to pull out because of the loss of National Science Foundation grants and state budget cuts.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14544953

Note: 16 August 2011 Last updated at 17:46 GMT

danasan · 08-17-11, 07:32 AM

I joined SETI@home 10 years ago and my computers have done a lot of calculation for that. I did not find any aliens, sorry.

Gerald · 08-17-11, 07:35 AM

I also did so for purposes of study, more of a fun thing .... but not a glimpse of ET ....yet

Osmium Steele · 08-17-11, 08:41 AM

Ditto

08-17-11, 03:59 AM	#1
Gerald SUBSIM Newsman Join Date: May 2008 Location: Close to sea Posts: 24,254 Downloads: 553 Uploads: 0	Donors help re-open mothballed telescopes searching for ET The Allen Telescope Array closed in April this year. Telescopes looking for extra terrestrial intelligence should re-open within weeks after donors replaced income lost in public funding cuts. The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, had to shut the $30m (£18.3m) Allen Telescope Array in April. Donors, including actress Jodie Foster, raised more than $200,000 (£122,000). The 42 radio telescopes, in northern California, search space for potential signals from alien life forms. Ms Foster was one of more than 2,400 people who contributed to the fund to save the Allen Telescope Array. She played the lead role of an astronomer looking for evidence of aliens in the 1997 film Contact. Science Fiction into Science Fact In a statement on the fund-raising website she explained her support: "The Allen Telescope Array could turn science fiction into science fact but only if it is actively searching the skies." Another donor was the Apollo 8 astronaut, Bill Anders. The SETI Institute says the fund should be enough to keep the telescopes operating until the end of the year, though the plan is still dependent on the institute receiving money from the US Air Force to track space debris that could damage satellites. SETI Institute Astronomer Seth Shostak told BBC News, the deal with the Air Force is not yet done but he said he is fairly confident it will go through. Even then the money will need to be ratified by Congress and so there may be a delay. He hopes the array will re-open in September or October. Thomas Pierson, SETI chief executive, agreed that a deal with the Air Force, combined with the donations, should allow the array to start listening for space chatter once again. He said: "For those who are interested in understanding whether intelligent life might be out there elsewhere in our galaxy, the Allen Telescope Array and our SETI team doing the research are the best bet." The array began operating in 2007 and is named after its major benefactor, Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft. It consists of 42 dish-shaped antennas which work as a single radio telescope. It is part of the Hat Creek Radio Observatory, run by the University of California, Berkeley. Originally the array was a joint project between SETI Institute and the UC Berkeley Astronomy Laboratory but Berkeley had to pull out because of the loss of National Science Foundation grants and state budget cuts. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14544953 Note: 16 August 2011 Last updated at 17:46 GMT __________________ Nothing in life is to be feard,it is only to be understood. Marie Curie

08-17-11, 07:32 AM	#2
danasan Elite Spam Hunter Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Flensburg / Germany Posts: 1,141 Downloads: 39 Uploads: 0	I joined SETI@home 10 years ago and my computers have done a lot of calculation for that. I did not find any aliens, sorry. __________________ "I invite you to go inside this submergible hole in the water where you can nicely hide from destroyers."

08-17-11, 07:35 AM	#3
Gerald SUBSIM Newsman Join Date: May 2008 Location: Close to sea Posts: 24,254 Downloads: 553 Uploads: 0	I also did so for purposes of study, more of a fun thing .... but not a glimpse of ET ....yet __________________ Nothing in life is to be feard,it is only to be understood. Marie Curie

08-17-11, 08:41 AM	#4
Osmium Steele Ace of the Deep Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Upper midwest USA Posts: 1,101 Downloads: 22 Uploads: 0	Ditto __________________ In the month of July of the year 1348, between the feasts of St. Benedict and of St. Swithin, a strange thing came upon England... My U297 build thread