We just sent a signal to make contact with aliens on a distant 'Super Earth' - here's what we said
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Humanity's first contact with aliens could be a breezy 24 years away. We sent a signal to an Earth-like planet that may host live - and we sent them a mixtape.
Humans just tried to contact intelligent aliens.
On Oct. 16, 17, and 18 a team of scientists sent a message to aliens. They sent the message via radio waves and transmitted it 9 different times. This helps ensure that all the information reaches its destination
What's in the message?
Thirty-three musical pieces, each 10 seconds long, a tutorial on how humans keep time, and when we will be listening for a response.
The message is headed for a nearby exoplanet named GJ 273b. GJ 273b is what astronomers call a "Super Earth".
It's slightly more massive than Earth and is within its star's habitable zone. GJ 273b is a good candidate for alien life.
This is the first radio message of its kind designed for a direct response at a specific time. GJ 273b lives in another star system 12 light years away.
That means if intelligent life responds we could make first contact in just 24 years.