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Space

Supernovae might be a good place to hunt for alien broadcasts

Other intelligent civilisations may send transmissions after a bright galactic event like a supernova to make them more visible to others, according to SETI researchers

By Jonathan O’Callaghan

26 January 2023

Supernova 1987A shines brightly close to centre of this image

Supernova SN 1987A (just to the right of and below the centre of this image) shone brightly enough that many eyes may have turned its way

ESO

If we want to spot messages from aliens, looking towards supernovae could help. Intelligent aliens might choose to transmit evidence of their presence during such explosive cosmic events because it would mean they would be more likely to be spotted by anyone looking in that direction, according to researchers from the Berkeley SETI Research Center in California.

Roughly once every 100 years, a star explodes …

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