Aliens May Be Watching Us But There’s A Delay Of 3,000 Years

According to a recent study, there is a possibility that aliens might be observing us in real time but there’s a delay of thousands of years due to the time light takes to travel across space.

Written by: Joy Pillai Edited by: Joy Pillai

Updated: January 18, 2024, 5:41 PM IST

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Aliens May Be Watching Us But There’s A Delay Of 3,000 Years

They Are Watching Us: We search for extraterrestrials in space by blasting infrared messages or sending probe satellites, but what if they are also watching us and observing major landmarks across the Earth using their advanced technology from thousands of light years away? According to a new study, it is possible. However, there’s a catch; they are not stalking us in real-time, but there could be a delay of approximately 3,000 years, as it is the time that light takes to travel across the vacuum of space.

The peer-reviewed paper, titled “Are we visible to advanced alien civilizations?” was published in Acta Astronautica. According to the author, ZN Osmanov, who is also a Research Affiliate at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute, the maximum distance for the detection of activities on Earth by any alien civilization is at least 3,000 light years. This estimate is calculated by scientists based on the laws of physics.

In simple words, aliens might use massive telescopes to observe major historical landmarks of the past. The study focuses on determining our detectability by categorising alien civilizations according to their technological advancements.
The classifications are focused on the ability of alien societies to harness the energy from their local star. The suggested categories include Type-I, which consumes all the energy incident on a planet from its star; Type-II, which utilizes the total energy of the star; and Type-III, an advanced society that consumes the entire galactic energy.

The Study Reads:

“In particular, the question is: can the artefacts of our technological society be visible and potentially detectable by the telescopes of ETs?
“Since the question is to identify our society with civilization, the major focus should be on the search for large ships, buildings space satellites, etc. Such artefacts might easily be identified as artificial constructions.

“For this purpose, it is natural to focus on the visible light reflected from the corresponding objects. To identify an observed object with an artificial one, the best way is to spatially resolve it. Therefore, optical telescopes will be used.”