
08/03/2025
In 2008, a group of scientists and enthusiasts used a radio telescope in Ukraine to transmit a message toward Gliese 581c, an exoplanet about 20.4 light-years away in the constellation Libra.
This project, called "A Message from Earth," aimed to connect with potential extraterrestrial life. The message included text, images, and songs selected through a public competition, representing human culture and knowledge.
Gliese 581c was chosen because, at the time, it was thought to lie within its star's habitable zone, where liquid water-and possibly lifeâ could exist. The signal, traveling at the speed of light, is expected to reach the planet in 2029.
If an intelligent civilization exists there and responds immediately with a similar radio signal, Earth could receive a reply around 2050, accounting for the round-trip travel time of approximately 40.8 light-years.