London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

Scientists think aliens are trying to contact Earth after detecting five new radio bursts from space

Scientists think aliens are trying to contact Earth after detecting five new radio bursts from space

Scientists think that aliens from 4 billion light years away could be trying to contact the Earth via fast radio bursts.
For decades, humans have been divided on whether alien life truly exists. However, according to newly-released research, cosmic lifeforms may have been recently trying to contact the Earth.

Joeri van Leeuwen at the University of Amsterdam has led an international team of astronomers and has published a paper in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.

In the paper, Professor van Leeuwen and co. recorded five FRBs which were discovered in 2019.

The FRBs were uncovered when the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope in the Netherlands was upgraded.

Westerbork contains 14 25-metre dishes and is fitted with a supercomputer called the Apertif Radio Transient System (ARTS).

The newly-published study reads: “Only through the very high time and frequency resolution of ARTS are these hard-to-find FRBs detected, producing an unbiased view of the intrinsic population properties."

In regard to the upgrades to the Westerbork, Eric Kooistra at the Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy said: “One cannot just go but the complex electronics you need for this.

“We designed most of the system ourselves, with a large team. That resulted in a state-of-the-art machine, one of the most powerful in the world."

Following the upgrade, the Westerbork has been able to pick up FRBs as well as pinpoint the exact locations of the frequencies.

The result has been that over a five-week period in 2019, astronomers found five FRBs. These had travelled roughly 4 billion light years through space.

However, on their way to Earth, three of the five pierced the Triangulum Galaxy. This is a spiral galaxy that is roughly 2.73 million light years from our planet.

The FRBs could originate from black holes, neutron stars or even artificial signals created by intelligent beings. Credit: Pixabay

After heading through the Triangulum Galaxy, the FRBs intersected the Andromeda Galaxy before hitting 'the halos' of our Milky Way.

Each of the FRBs appeared randomly and could originate from black holes, neutron stars or even artificial signals created by intelligent beings (aka aliens).

Professor Avi Loeb at the institute said that an artificial origin of these signals 'is worth contemplating'.

Referencing the latest research, Professor van Leeuwen said: “Fast radio bursts (FRBs) must be powered by uniquely energetic emission mechanisms.

“We discovered five new FRBs, a significant addition to the approximately 100 published [in 2019]."

Despite the five FRBs being discovered in 2019, the information has only been released to the public upon the publication of ‘The Apertif Radio Transient System (ARTS): Design, commissioning, data release, and detection of the first five fast radio bursts’ this week.

While these five have been documented, the researchers have admitted that it is difficult to monitor FRBs because they ‘pierce galaxies at random points in time’.

Professor van Leeuwen’s team now want to understand FRBs in more detail. The astronomers also want learn whether these five truly did come from alien lifeforms.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
×