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Airport Radar Leakage Broadcasts Earth’s Location to Alien Observers

These unintended emissions could serve as a universal sign of intelligent life from any technologically advanced planet equipped with radar

Overview

  • Preliminary results presented July 8 at the Royal Astronomical Society confirm that combined civilian and military airport radar emissions produce a 2×10^15-watt signal detectable up to 200 light-years away by telescopes like the Green Bank Telescope.
  • Military radar systems emit focused, lighthouse-like beams peaking at 1×10^14 watts that can appear up to a hundred times stronger depending on an observer’s location in space.
  • Simulations tracked leakage patterns toward nearby stars such as Barnard’s Star (6 light-years) and AU Microscopii (32 light-years) to assess how extraterrestrial observers might perceive Earth’s radar signatures.
  • The research indicates that any planet with a complex aviation radar network could inadvertently broadcast technosignatures revealing its intelligent inhabitants.
  • Investigators plan to use their modeling methods to improve radio spectrum protection, inform future radar system design and bolster planetary defense strategies.