The SETI Observer

Dear SETI enthusiasts:

Astronomers work with mind-boggling numbers. SETI Institute scientists study processes that occur on timescales vastly exceeding what we can know from personal experience. We watch our children grow, marry, raise families of their own, and we understand the human life cycle in all its fullness even as we find ourselves caught up in day to day activities. Geologic time and human time are very different.

Right now at the Institute, members of our Project Phoenix staff are keenly aware of human time, and how quickly it passes. The end of summer in our Mountain View offices means observing is just around the corner. October is a particularly hectic month. There is software to be tested, shipping and travel to be arranged. Between now and November 13, life will be a countdown. Preparations for the penultimate observing session of Project Phoenix are consuming, and in the midst of this activity, it is easy to lose perspective.

However, one has only to step outside on a clear dark night to regain the sense of wonder that pervades all of our work, from our SETI projects to those that focus on the chemistry of microorganisms here on Earth. Tonight, I know that time will seem suspended as I observe the slow dance of Saturn across the night sky in close accompaniment with Earth's pale moon. This juxtaposition makes me keenly aware of Titan, the Saturnian moon that offers our scientists compelling evidence of complex organic chemistry in its hazy, hydrocarbon-laden atmosphere.

It is even more amazing to think that the basic ingredients of life undergo chemical evolution in the cold regions of space between stars. How wonderful to contemplate that organic and pre-organic molecules are ubiquitous in distant solar systems, and that the same physics and chemistry that gave rise to us could have also given rise to life on other worlds.

In our busiest moments, we are never far from remembering what it is that we seek.

I invite you now to learn more about our work as you follow the links of the SETI Observer.

Thomas Pierson
CEO, SETI Institute

Early next year the SETI Institute will wrap up a project that has inspired a book and a movie, and sent scores of visitors to the world's largest telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Excited as we are by the Allen Telescope Array and the prospect of "all SETI all the time," there is something about the monumental dish in the jungle that adds an irreplaceable romantic note to the science. This spring will be our last session of Phoenix and our last trip to the big dish. We are holding a Farewell Project Phoenix Party on February 17 for our loyal TeamSETI supporters. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more information.

Be one of the first five to answer the following question correctly and get a cool SETI Institute t-shirt. We'll post the answer in next month's e-newsletter. Choose the phrase that best completes this statement and send your answer to newsletter@seti.org.

Pick the letter that most accurately completes this sentence:
Planet hunters observing at the South Pole

1. expect to find one or two Earth-like planets.
2. often see penguins and other exotic life forms.
3. look for large gas giants that orbit their stars closely.
4. are on site at the telescope only during the Antarctic night.

Pick the letter that most accurately completes this sentence:
The advantage of the Institute's Optical SETI program over earlier searches is

1. the individual strengths of the partnership organizations.
2. the many espresso stands nearby for observers.
3. three photo-multiplier tubes reducing false positives.
4. the automation, allowing astronomers to conduct observations remotely.