"Arecibo Message" redirects here. For the 2009 Boxcutter album, see Arecibo Message (album).
This is a demonstration of the message with color added to highlight its separate parts. The binary transmission sent carried no color information.
The Arecibo message is an interstellar radio message carrying basic information about humanity and Earth that was sent to the globular clusterMessier 13 in 1974. It was meant as a demonstration of human technological achievement, rather than a real attempt to enter into a conversation with extraterrestrials.[1][2]
The message was broadcast into space a single time via frequency modulatedradio waves at a ceremony to mark the remodeling of the Arecibo Telescope in Puerto Rico on 16 November 1974.[2][3] The message was aimed at the current location of M13, about 25,000 light years from Earth, because M13 was a large and relatively close collection of stars that was available in the sky at the time and place of the ceremony.[4] When correctly translated into graphics, characters, and spaces, the 1,679 bits of data contained within the message form the image shown here.[5]
Description
The content of the Arecibo message was designed by a group of Cornell University and Arecibo scientists: Frank Drake, creator of the Drake equation, Richard Isaacman, Linda May, and James C.G. Walker.[2]Carl Sagan and others also contributed.[2] The message was meant more as a demonstration of human technological achievement than a serious attempt to enter into a conversation with possible extraterrestrials.[2] As globular cluster M13, at which the message was aimed, is more than 25,000 light-years from Earth, the message, traveling at the speed of light, will take at least 25,000 years to arrive there. By that time, the core of M13 will no longer be in precisely the same location because of the orbit of the star cluster around the Galactic Center.[2] Even so, the proper motion of M13 is small, so the message will still arrive near the center of the cluster.[2]
The message consists of seven parts that encode the following (from the top down in the image):[5]
The estimated number of DNA nucleotides in the human genome, and a graphic of the double helix structure of DNA (white and blue, respectively)
The dimension (physical height, 5'9") of an average man (blue/white), a graphic figure of a human being (red), and the human population of Earth which was about 4 billion at the time (white)
A graphic of the Solar System (including Pluto), indicating which of the planets the message is coming from (yellow). The Sun is on the left and the third planet, Earth, raised toward the human figure
A graphic of the Arecibo radio telescope and the dimension (the physical diameter) of the transmitting antenna dish (purple, white, and blue)
The entire message consisted of 1,679 binary digits, approximately 210 bytes, transmitted at a frequency of 2,380MHz and modulated by shifting the frequency by 10Hz, with a power of 450 kW. The "ones" and "zeros" were transmitted by frequency shifting at the rate of 10 bits per second. The total broadcast was less than three minutes.[2][6]
The message as a binary string is included below. Note that the choice of 1 representing higher frequency and 0 representing lower frequency is entirely arbitrary and the line breaks after every 23 bits are only included to allow for some ease in human readability.[8]
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ---------------------- 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 00 00 00 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 00 00 10 1 0 1 0 1 0 1 01 11 01 X X X X X X X X X X <-Least-significant-digit marker.
The numbers from 1 to 10 appear in binary format, to be read from the top down. The bottom row contains markers which indicate the column from which the binary code for each number is intended to begin.
Even assuming that any extraterrestrial recipients would recognize binary, the encoding of the numbers may not be immediately obvious because of the way they have been written. To read the first seven digits, ignore the bottom row, and read them as three binary digits from top to bottom, with the top digit being the most significant. The readings for 8, 9, and 10 are a little different, as their binary code has been distributed across an additional column next to the first (to the right in the image). This is intended to show that numbers too large to fit in a single column can be written in several contiguous ones (a scheme which is used elsewhere in the message). The additional columns are not marked by the least-significant-digit marker.
DNA elements
Part 2 — The elements constituting DNA
H C N O P 1 6 7 8 15 ---------- 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 X X X X X
The chemical groups from which the nucleotides of polymeric DNA sequences are built – the sugar deoxyribose, phosphate, and the four canonical nucleobases used in DNA – are then described as sequences of the five elements that appear on the preceding line. Each sequence represents the molecular formula of the chemical as it exists when incorporated into DNA (as opposed to the free form).
For example, the compound in the top left in the image is deoxyribose (C5H7O in DNA, C5H10O4 when free), whose formula is read as:
11000 10000 11010 XXXXX ----- 75010
i.e., 7 atoms of hydrogen, 5 atoms of carbon, 0 atoms of nitrogen, 1 atom of oxygen, and 0 atoms of phosphorus.
It is displayed in this order because the DNA Elements in the previous section (Purple image as reference) describe hydrogen (H), carbon (C), nitrogen (N), oxygen (O), and phosphorus (P) in that order as well.
Double helix
Part 4 — The DNA double helix structure
11 11 11 11 11 01 11 11 01 11 01 11 10 11 11 01 X
11111111 11110111 11111011 01011110 (binary) [Using the double vertical columns above, read from top to bottom starting from the right column first, and then top to bottom from the left column.] = 4,294,441,822 (decimal)
A graphic of the approximate shape of the double helix in which double-stranded DNA polymers naturally exist; the vertical bar in the middle is a binary representation of the number of nucleotide base pairs in the human genome. The value depicted is around 4.3 billion, which was believed to be the case when the message was transmitted in 1974; it is now known that there are only approximately 3.2 billion base pairs in the human genome.
The graphic in the center is a simple illustration of a human being. The element on the left (in the image) indicates the average height of an adult male in the US: 1.764m (5ft 9.4in). This value is indicated by a horizontally written binary representation of the number 14, which is intended to be multiplied by the wavelength of the message (126mm); 14 × 126 = 1,764 millimeters.
The element on the right of the image indicates the size of the global human population in 1974, approximately 4.3billion (which, coincidentally, is within 0.1% of the number of DNA base pairs suggested for the size of the human genome earlier in the message). In this case, the number is oriented in the data horizontally rather than vertically. The least-significant-digit marker is in the upper left in the image, with bits going to the right and more significant digits below.
Planets
Part 6 — The Sun and the planets
Earth Sun Mercury Venus Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus Neptune Pluto
bottom middle two rows shown in White as reference in the image: 100101 <--- 111110X --->
100101 111110 (binary) = 2,430 (decimal)
The Arecibo message as decoded into 23 rows and 73 columns. Although unintelligible, the message in this format appears sufficiently organized to show that it is not a random signal.
The last part is a graphic representing the Arecibo radio telescope and indicating its diameter with a binary representation of the number 2,430; multiplying by the wavelength of 126mm gives 306.18m (1,004ft 6in). In this case, the number is oriented horizontally, with the least-significant-digit marker to the lower right in the image.
The part of the image that resembles a letter "M" is there to demonstrate that the curved line is a concave curved mirror.
Arecibo Answer crop circle hoax
The Arecibo reply was the name given to a crop circle that was made in the farmland next to the Chilbolton radio telescope in Hampshire, UK, on 19 August 2001. It was 75 feet wide and 120 feet long.
The "Hampshire pattern" or "Chilbolton Code formation" or "Arecibo answer" was a crop circle that appeared in 2001 near the Chilbolton radio telescope in Hampshire, UK, which echoed the visual representation and most of the information from the original Arecibo message with some significant differences including location/origin, DNA configuration, and appearance.
The SETI Institute Online rebutted the idea that this was a genuine extraterrestrial response, by saying, "This is highly improbable. There is no evidence to suggest an other-than-earthly origin for these graphics."[9][10][11] The crop circle is a near replica of the Arecibo message, with the same 23 × 73 grid. Most of the chemical data remains the same, with the exception that in the section detailing important chemical elements, silicon has been added, and the diagram of DNA has been rewritten. At the bottom, the pictogram of a human is replaced with a figure with a large, bulbous head.[12][9] A solar system with 9 planets is also depicted, with emphasis placed on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th planets of the system. The Arecibo telescope is replaced by a replica of a crop circle that appeared in the same field one year before, and the binary representation of the transmitter's diameter is altered.[13][14]
Extraterrestrial life, or alien life, is life that originates from another world rather than on Earth. No extraterrestrial life has yet been scientifically conclusively detected. Such life might range from simple forms such as prokaryotes to intelligent beings, possibly bringing forth civilizations that might be far more, or far less, advanced than humans. The Drake equation speculates about the existence of sapient life elsewhere in the universe. The science of extraterrestrial life is known as astrobiology.
The Fermi paradox is the discrepancy between the lack of conclusive evidence of advanced extraterrestrial life and the apparently high likelihood of its existence. Those affirming the paradox generally conclude that if the conditions required for life to arise from non-living matter are as permissive as the available evidence on Earth indicates, then extraterrestrial life would be sufficiently common such that it would be implausible for it not to have been detected yet.
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) is a collective term for scientific searches for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Methods include monitoring electromagnetic radiation for signs of transmissions from civilizations on other planets, optical observation, and the search for physical artifacts. Attempts to message extraterrestrial intelligences have also been made.
Frank Donald Drake was an American astrophysicist and astrobiologist.
The Voyager Golden Records are two identical phonograph records which were included aboard the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977. The records contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form who may find them. The records are a time capsule.
Interstellar communication is the transmission of signals between planetary systems. Sending interstellar messages is potentially much easier than interstellar travel, being possible with technologies and equipment which are currently available. However, the distances from Earth to other potentially inhabited systems introduce prohibitive delays, assuming the limitations of the speed of light. Even an immediate reply to radio communications sent to stars tens of thousands of light-years away would take many human generations to arrive.
Messier 13, or M13, is a globular cluster of several hundred thousand stars in the constellation of Hercules.
The Pioneer plaques are a pair of gold-anodized aluminum plaques that were placed on board the 1972 Pioneer 10 and 1973 Pioneer 11 spacecraft, featuring a pictorial message, in case either Pioneer 10 or 11 is intercepted by intelligent extraterrestrial life. The plaques show the nude figures of a human male and female along with several symbols that are designed to provide information about the origin of the spacecraft.
Extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI) refers to hypothetical intelligent extraterrestrial life. No such life has ever been verifiably observed to exist. The question of whether other inhabited worlds might exist has been debated since ancient times. The modern form of the concept emerged when the Copernican Revolution demonstrated that the Earth was a planet revolving around the Sun, and other planets were, conversely, other worlds. The question of whether other inhabited planets or moons exist was a natural consequence of this new understanding. It has become one of the most speculative questions in science and is a central theme of science fiction and popular culture.
Radar astronomy is a technique of observing nearby astronomical objects by reflecting radio waves or microwaves off target objects and analyzing their reflections. Radar astronomy differs from radio astronomy in that the latter is a passive observation and the former an active one. Radar systems have been conducted for six decades applied to a wide range of Solar System studies. The radar transmission may either be pulsed or continuous. The strength of the radar return signal is proportional to the inverse fourth-power of the distance. Upgraded facilities, increased transceiver power, and improved apparatus have increased observational opportunities.
Project Ozma is a historic and groundbreaking scientific endeavor that marked the beginning of humanity’s systematic search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Named after Princess Ozma from L. Frank Baum’s Oz books, symbolizing the hope of reaching distant, fantastical realms, the project was initiated in 1960 by American astrophysicist Dr. Frank Drake. It represented one of the first serious attempts to answer a profound question: Are we alone in the universe?
SHGb02+14a is an astronomical radio source and a candidate in the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence (SETI), discovered in March 2003 by SETI@home and announced in New Scientist on September 1, 2004.
The Wow! signal was a strong narrowband radio signal detected on August 15, 1977, by Ohio State University's Big Ear radio telescope in the United States, then used to support the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. The signal appeared to come from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius and bore expected hallmarks of extraterrestrial origin.
The communication with extraterrestrial intelligence (CETI) is a branch of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI) that focuses on composing and deciphering interstellar messages that theoretically could be understood by another technological civilization. The best-known CETI experiment of its kind was the 1974 Arecibo message composed by Frank Drake.
The Teen Age Message (TAM) was a series of interstellar radio transmissions sent from the Yevpatoria Planetary Radar to six solar-type stars during August–September 2001. The structure of the TAM was suggested by Alexander Zaitsev, Chief Scientist at Russia's Institute of Radio-engineering and Electronics. The message's content and target stars were selected by a group of teens from four Russian cities, who collaborated in person and via the Internet. Each transmission comprised three sections: a sounding, a live theremin concert, and digital data including images and text. TAM was humanity's fourth Active SETI broadcast and the first musical interstellar radio message.
The Arecibo Telescope was a 305 m (1,000 ft) spherical reflector radio telescope built into a natural sinkhole at the Arecibo Observatory located near Arecibo, Puerto Rico. A cable-mount steerable receiver and several radar transmitters for emitting signals were mounted 150 m (492 ft) above the dish. Completed in November 1963, the Arecibo Telescope was the world's largest single-aperture telescope for 53 years, until it was surpassed in July 2016 by the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) in Guizhou, China.
Active SETI is the attempt to send messages to intelligent extraterrestrial life. Active SETI messages are predominantly sent in the form of radio signals. Physical messages like that of the Pioneer plaque may also be considered an active SETI message. Active SETI is also known as METI.
Cosmic Call was the name of two sets of interstellar radio messages that were sent from RT-70 in Yevpatoria, Ukraine in 1999 and 2003 to various nearby stars. The messages were designed with noise-resistant format and characters.
A Simple Response to an Elemental Message (ASREM) was an Interstellar Radio Message (IRM) consisting primarily of 3775 worldwide responses to this initiative's posed question; "How will our present, environmental interactions shape the future?" This transmission also features a smaller 'Honorary Mention' text archive and a series of images of Earth.
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