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.