The SETI Observer

February 28, 2002

	The Search is On
	Join Us in Arecibo
	Test Your SETI IQ
	We Need Your Help
	Tune-In to SETI Radio
	Cosmic Company?
	The Race to Find Life
Artist rendering of a single 6-meter dish from the Allen Telescope Array (scheduled for completion in 2005)

Dear SETI Enthusiast,

Are we alone?

SETI Institute scientists are working to answer that question. Your support is helping to make this research possible.

I'm taking the liberty of sending you this first issue of our monthly e-newsletter. (If you don't want it, just let us know by following the "unsubscribe" information at the end of the message.)

From scanning the night sky for celestial radio signals at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, to surveying the harsh landscapes of the Canadian Arctic in preparation for a future expedition to Mars, our multidisciplinary research spans a wide variety of fields including astronomy, biology, physics, geology and cosmology. The SETI Institute is committed to searching out the answers to the most persistent mysteries of the universe. We've created this newsletter to keep you connected to our groundbreaking discoveries, events, activities and discussions.

If you like our newsletter, please let us know -- and forward it to your friends and colleagues. I'd also welcome your suggestions and comments; just e-mail us at newsletter@seti.org.

Thank you,

Thomas Pierson
Chief Executive Officer
SETI Institute

THE SEARCH IS ON

SETI scientists return to the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico (immortalized in such movies as "GoldenEye" and "Contact") March 4-23 to scan the night sky for radio signals sent by extraterrestrial civilizations. "Project Phoenix" will point this massive antenna in the direction of nearby, sun-like stars and monitor two billion frequency channels for clues that could reveal life in the universe.

What we will find? We conduct two observing sessions in Arecibo each year and so far no convincing signals have been heard. But stay tuned . . . our scientists are optimistic that the faint interstellar whisper that would betray an alien civilization could be heard tomorrow! Learn more

JOIN US IN ARECIBO

Want to watch our scientists in action? March 4 - 23, log on to www.seti.org to watch our scientists via "SETI Cam" in the Arecibo control room.

TEST YOUR SETI IQ AND WIN A T-SHIRT

Be one of the first five to answer correctly and get a cool SETI Institute t-shirt. We'll post the answer in next month's e-newsletter.
Send your answer to newsletter@seti.org

Why was tropical Arecibo chosen as the location for the world's largest telescope?

Scientists wanted to drink pina coladas while surveying the sky.
Arecibo is located exactly halfway around the world from the world's second largest telescope so that a full-view of space is always in sight from the two locations.
The closer to the equator, the more sky a telescope can see.
The higher moisture levels common to tropical climates amplify radio signals.

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Since a budget-conscious Congress cut SETI funding in 1993, we have depended on private support from visionary individuals like you to support "Project Phoenix," the world's most sophisticated search for intelligent life in the universe. Make a donation today to help us sponsor our cutting-edge projects.

TUNE-IN TO SETI RADIO

Check out "Are we alone?" our new weekly radio show. Fire your tough questions to prominent scientists from the SETI Institute, NASA, and academia. "Are we alone?" airs Sundays 9 pm EST on Radio America. Visit the Web site to find out your local station www.radioamerica.org/program/alone.htm and call 1-800-510-TALK (toll-free) to participate during the show.

COSMIC COMPANY?

The Kepler Mission has a simple objective: find small planets around other stars - worlds like Earth that could possibly spawn life. It promises to be one of the most exciting astronomy projects of the coming decade.

In the last half-dozen years, astronomers have made a remarkable discovery: roughly 5 - 10% of stars similar to the Sun have planets. They have observed this fraction of stars to periodically wobble in response to the orbital motion of unseen worlds. However, every one of the planets detected by this method is hefty, typically the size of Jupiter or larger. This preponderance of massive worlds is an inevitable consequence of the detection scheme: only large planets induce measurable wobbles.

THE RACE TO FIND LIFE

The Olympics may still be fresh in your mind, but there's another competition underway whose consequences will hang over the planet a lot longer than this year's pairs skating ...SETI is one of many scientific endeavors searching for life off Earth. Check out this week's SETI Thursday on www.SPACE.com for the lowdown on upcoming searches.

Email:newsletter@seti.org