ET may be out there but too far out of coverage to hear our call

INTELLIGENT LIFE is likely to exist somewhere in the universe, according to an astronomer who specialises in the search for extraterrestrials.

But, says Prof Ian Morison, we will probably never know for sure as any ETs will be too far away for us to be able to contact them.

Prof Morison of Gresham College London will this evening give a talk at the Institute of Technology, Sligo entitled, Are We Alone? The Hunt for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, as part of Science Week Ireland.

He has spent 43 years working with the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, where radio astronomy dishes can sweep the skies for stray radio signals, a sign of intelligent life.

He also worked on “Project Phoenix” to detect extraterrestrials using the world’s largest radio telescope at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. That six-year effort ended in 2003, but, he added, “sadly, of course, we detected nothing”.

One must make a distinction between life and intelligent life, Prof Morison said in an interview yesterday. Mars may well provide evidence of past or even present life. Jupiter’s moon Europa has been found to have a liquid water ocean and could hide life.

Astronomers are watching for signs of life on the 500 exoplanets so far discovered orbiting distant stars. “It is possible to analyse their atmospheres. If you can detect the presence of ozone you will know there is free oxygen in the atmosphere,” Prof Morison said. “Somewhere out there an ET will exist, but the question is will we be close enough to find him.”

Prof Morison’s talk takes place at the IT Sligo at 7.30pm today and is free and open to the public.