The city of Lexington , Kentucky has mail a message via optical maser to theTRAPPIST-1 system , officially in the promise of attracting tourists from one of themany solid ground - like planetsthere . Some may distrust the real agenda is to attract visitor from nigher to home , but we ’ll let you be the evaluator of that .
There ’s pot of argumentation as to whether humanity should be trying to make contact with extraterrestrial , lest alarm them to our bearing sparks an invasion . Stephen Hawkingwas just one of those who consider the risk too great . Others think aliens are unbelievable to do anything worse to us than we are doing to ourselves , and we should attempt their advice on how to work up advanced engineering that does n’t make the planet uninhabitable .
In the lead - up to Christmas , tourism authority VisitLEX place a powerfullaserbeam at the Kentucky Horse Park and betoken it at the TRAPPIST-1 system , in the direction of Aquarius . The laser ’s pulse convert into a picture that let in some prime numbers , perhaps in type they cerebrate we invented optical maser without knowing primes . Also included are images of the periodic table with the element most essential for Earth - life strike off , diagram of some of our favorite molecules , and boost to drop in on Lexington . All this is packed into a Bitmap , followed by scenes and music from the area .
Lexington showing off its traditional image, and aspects of the high-tech hub it wishes to become.Image Credit: VisitLEX
The image resembles ( or might be seen as a parody of ) one station out by theArecibo Telescopein 1974 . However , the Aricebo message was basically a proof of what humans are open of . The terminus was globose clusterM13.In the unlikely event anyone obtain , decrypt , and reply to it , the round trip would be 42,000 long time – you ’d be brave to bet humans would still be around to need to reverence the consequences .
TRAPPIST-1 , on the other handwriting , is only 39 light age away . TheVisitLEX websitecounts down the daylight , and indeed even the minute of arc , until themessagereaches its destination . It ’s likely anyone ( or anything ) enticed by the substance will take far longer to get here , but potentially , the first bookings could be made in less than 80 years , which Dr Robert Lodder of the University of Kentucky note would be within “ somebody ’s lifespan ” .
No one know if any of the TRAPPIST-1 satellite indorse life story , permit alone technical civilizations . However , there are 3 - 4 rocky planets in the habitable zone . With the system being at leasta billion years old than ours , there ’s been mess of time for spaceflight - subject extraterrestrial to evolve .
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A small crowd of Lexington enthusiasts came out to celebrate the sending of the image. They’ll be sorry if the aliens decide they like what they see so much they invade, but then we all will.Image Credit: VisitLEX
SETI scientists and linguists offer their own tongue - in - boldness commentary on why anyone who has navigate across the vastness of blank space for decades or centuries should skip more famous city and make Lexington their first stop .
Lexington Kentucky has title itself the “ Horse Capital of the World ” . When seeking to take up in visitant , they traditionally rely on equine , bourbon , and bluegrass . Unsurprisingly , these feature conspicuously on the accompany website , and there ’s a nod to each in the subject matter itself .
On the other hand , the whole upshot is perhaps a sign that the home to the University of Kentucky is strain to diversify its simulacrum , featuring theLiving Arts and Science Centerand theExplorium youngster ’s museum . Curiously , being theresting seat of the genuine Cocaine Beardoesn’t figure . Perhaps they think noncitizen are not up on popular cinema .
VisitLEX got FAA approval for the message , presumably because whoever tick off the corner forecast they would not only be retired but numb before any consequences were get .
“ Lexington would be a groovy lieu to make first striking , " Lodder said on the VisitLEX site . " you may land your spacecraft here . you may see the Bluegrass . You may even be able to tease a sawbuck , look on how handsome you are . ”
