Could we eavesdrop on aliens by detecting signals relayed around the sun?

[Admin]

Researchers suggest we may be able to use gravitational lensing to amplify radio waves, allowing us to listen in on communication signals passing through our solar system.

Could we eavesdrop on aliens by detecting signals relayed around the sun? : Read more

 

[billslugg]

Yeah, sorta. WE are not going to use the Sun to magnify radio waves from another star, we are going to assume aliens have positioned a transmitter at a point 550 AU away from our Sun opposite our nearest star, Proxima Centauri. The aliens would be using the Sun to direct their signals to the star and to magnify the return signals. Then we are going to point our antennas at that point and see if we can intercept the spillover from one of their transmissions.

 

[Catastrophe]

And how will we recognise alien signals as signals? Since the British Empire sadly didn't reach quite that far, the signals are unlikely to be in English or Morse Code. Then, again, it would be something if the aliens had kidnapped Mary Malcolm or McDonald Holbey some years ago - wonderful to hear their voices again.

Cat

 

[billslugg]

Such signals are recognized by their narrow bandwidth and timing. Certain combinations are not possible for nature to develop.

 

[Catastrophe]

Yes, Bill, but my point is "what is the common language"? It sounds a bit like their version of Morse Code.

Cat

 

[billslugg]

Is there a common language? Yes, mathematics. Binary representations of prime numbers are one example of something that is universal. I am sure there are others.

 

[Catastrophe]

Is this not a rather limited way to converse?

Cat

 

[billslugg]

Yes, it is similar to establishing communication with a person who has been deaf, dumb and blind since birth. It can be done, it just takes a long time. The only conduit for information exchange is touch.
In the case of an interstellar exchange it is mathematics. Plus we have the additional hindrance of time delay.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

This seems somewhat impractical to me. For one thing, nobody mentioned what the "focal length" of our sun would be, so my question is how far away from our sun would a receiver have to be orbiting to get the "lensed" radio transmissions to be focused on it, as opposed to blocked from it by our sun.

Another question in my mind is what noise level does the sun create in the same radio frequencies when looking directly at it?