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Avi Loebas: 3I/ATLAS galėjo būti "Wow!" signalo šaltinis
The Harvard astrophysicist has put forward a controversial new theory concerning the enigmatic interstellar visitor.
Source: Avi Loeb Medium
The Harvard astrophysicist has put forward a controversial new theory concerning the enigmatic interstellar visitor.
Astronomers have been listening out for extraterrestrial signals
for years, but one case - that of a strange signal picked up by a school
telescope at Ohio State University over 40 years ago - has long
remained one of the most tantalizing and perplexing examples ever
recorded.
Originating in the globular cluster of M55 in the constellation
Sagittarius, the peculiar signal lasted approximately 72 seconds.
Astronomer Jerry Ehman, who was the first to examine the computer
readout, famously wrote the word 'Wow!' on the page.
Although most experts have since dismissed the signal as naturally
occurring, the specifics surrounding its source have remained a topic of
debate for decades.
Now, though, Harvard's Avi Loeb has written a new piece in which he
suggests that the enigmatic interstellar visitor 3I/ATLAS might actually
be the originator of this mysterious signal.
According to his
findings, back in 1977 when the Wow! signal was received, 3I/ATLAS was
situated in the same approximate direction as the origin of the signal.
"Hence,
the 'Wow!' signal was separated by approximately 4 degrees in RA and 8
degrees in Dec from the direction of 3I/ATLAS," he wrote.
"The chance of two random directions in the sky being aligned to that level is about 0.6 percent."
Loeb then went on to consider what would happen if we received a signal from 3I/ATLAS.
"The urgency of a response would depend on the rank of the object on the Loeb Scale," he wrote.
"Rank
10 would suggest an imminent threat akin to a visitor to our backyard
who is capable of approaching the front door, requiring an immediate
response."
"But even a low rank would necessitate a contingency
plan because of the major implications to humanity if the threat is
realized."
As things stand, however, there is no evidence to suggest that 3I/ATLAS poses any sort of threat.
Source: Avi Loeb Medium