30 Aug 2016

Mysterious signal found 95 light years from Earth

3:56 pm on 30 August 2016

A team of scientists looking for signs of extraterrestrial life is investigating mysterious signal spikes emitting from a star that is 6.3 billion years old.

Picture released on April 24, 2008 by ESA shows the Arp 272, a collision between two spiral galaxies, NGC 6050 and IC 1179 part of the Hercules Galaxy Cluster and located in the constellation of Hercules, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope

A collision between two spiral galaxies located in the constellation of Hercules. Photo: AFP

America's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) said the unusual radio signal was originally detected 95 light years away from Earth, in the constellation Hercules.

A senior astronomer from the unit's Californian team, Seth Shostak, said it was first discovered in Russia last year, but had only just come to light.

He told Morning Report the signal sounded like white noise and, although their study of the area last night found nothing, they would continue looking.

He remained sceptical that the discovery was evidence of extraterrestrial life.

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