Signals from deep space will show a drift in frequency due to the changing relative velocity between the transmitter (perhaps on a spacecraft or another planet) and the radio telescope on the Earth.Īn example of such a signal, from the Pioneer 10 spacecraft is shown below.ĭuring a subsequent observation, we switched the computer display to show one of the "side bands" where Pioneer 10 transmits data. This means that most ground-based transmitters will appear to have a constant frequency, much like the test signal shown above. Unlike most radio astronomy experiments, Project Phoenix does not compensate for the motion of the Earth during its observations. Now at a distance of more than 6 billion miles (10,000 million kilometers), and broadcasting with a power of a few watts (a small flashlight), it provides an excellent test for the Phoenix System. After sending back the first close-up pictures of Jupiter and Saturn, it has continued traveling through and beyond our Solar System. The Pioneer 10 spacecraft was launched in 1972. Unfortunately, until we make the discovery, we don't have such a signal.įortunately, we have something that provides a pretty good approximation to an ETI signal. Ideally we'd like a "standard ETI signal" for calibrating our sensitivity and checking that all of the electronics and software at both the primary and verification sites are working properly. The Project Phoenix system is designed to detect faint communication signals coming from light years away while rejecting the cacophany of terrestrial communications. A Signal from Beyond the Solar System Testing the System
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