Quest for extraterrestrial life

At present two ways to search for extraterrestrial life. Within our solar tracking space probes to places that may be suitable for life (planet Mars , Saturn's moon Titan , Saturn's moon Enceladus and Jupiter's moon Europa ). The area outside our solar system it shall be scoured with radio telescopes to detect radio waves , which potentially can be hidden signals that indicate an intelligent source. SETI is a project designed to specifically choose to search for.

There are signals which we initially thought that intelligent extraterrestrial origin were due to the very precise timing. Later I learned that these signals were from pulsars , a natural phenomenon. In 1977 discovered Wow signal was never explained and never again detected.

Conversely, we are also, intentionally or unintentionally, findable for intelligent extraterrestrial life. The radio waves from the end of the 19th century to the present day be broadcast, have already achieved many other stars, who may also have habitable planets. There are also radio broadcasts have been special with our goal to make known to any intelligent extraterrestrial life.

Since to date no extraterrestrial life in our solar system was demonstrated, this will probably only outside our solar system can be found. This will only by means of radio telescopes and space viewers into orbit around the Earth could happen, because the huge distances between the stars (in terms of light years ) a journey to another star within a reasonable period of time impossible. We were able with the speed of light to travel, then an expedition to the nearest star, Proxima Centauri , at a distance of 4.3 light years, about 4.3 years. If we want to try to come to this ester with today'stechnology missile with chemical propulsion, it will be a space probe at a rate of, for example 20 km / s is 63,000 years to do so.