First handshake? Radio signal with all hallmarks of alien technology detected in China

Scientists in China have detected a signal from a star system about 238 light-years from Earth, and it matches the type of signals astronomers look for in their quest to find alien life. The researchers wrote in a study that the signal was extremely narrowly focused, and such signals rarely originate from natural cosmic processes. However, they are known to come from artificial transmitters. This has led to questions around whether this signal could have actually come from another life form in the universe. The study was published in The Astronomical Journal.

The scientists were going through observations of 33 planetary systems on the FAST telescope collected in 2021 and testing new software when they stumbled upon the signal. Many of its features have triggered curiosity about whether it could have been artificially generated. The star system K2-155 has three “super-Earths”. One of them orbits its star in the habitable zone, meaning where water can exist in liquid form.

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Why the signal appears to be artificially generated

Named NBS 260108, it was picked up as a steady radio tone concentrated around a single frequency. Such signals aren't believed to be the result of natural processes in the universe. There were a total of 19 beams, and this signal appeared only in the telescope beam aimed at K2-155. Another classic sign of transmissions from distant technology is a steady shift in the frequency. This also happened with NBS 260108.

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The team says further improvements in technology are needed to verify whether this mysterious signal actually came from deep space, or was it a false alarm caused by human-made interference on Earth. They will now compare the original recordings from all 19 telescope beams to determine its position and motion.

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K2-155 remains a candidate for finding alien life because its planet, K2-155d, is near the habitable zone. It is nearly 1.6 times bigger than Earth and orbits around its star in 40.7 days. "This system’s habitable-zone super-Earth made it an intriguing SETI [the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence] target," the authors wrote.

Radio signal is not natural

Scientists were looking for radio transmissions from the star system, as that could mean the presence of an advanced civilisation. When the signal's frequency shifts, it could be attributed to the movement of a transmitter located at a far-off place. This signal shifted to a lower radio frequency. It appeared on the charts as a thin, slightly slanted streak against the surrounding background.

The signal is now being analysed with the aim of answering "one of humanity’s oldest scientific questions - whether intelligent life exists beyond Earth." But finding the origin of any signal coming from space isn't going to be easy.