Radio telescope observations of Proxima Centauri, the nearest star beyond our solar system, have detected an unusual radio signal, which was actually collected in April 2019.

Here we begin with an important refutation: Scientists analyzing this strategic data do not say that it is an alien.

More from ForbesHop dims for life around the sun’s neighborhoodWritten by Don Lincoln

But they can’t say for sure I do not know Aliens.

“It has some special merits that led to the delivery of some of our checks, which we can not yet explain,” said Andrew Simeon of the University of California, Berkeley. Told the Scientific American.

Simeon leads the Breakthrough Listening Project, which was recently discovered in old observations. Analysis of the signal, labeled “Breakthrough Listen Candidate 1” (BLC1), will be published in an forthcoming paper early next year.

Basically all we know so far is that the signal seems to be coming from the direction of the nearest red dwarf star, Proxima Centauri, which is connected to the Alpha Centauri binary system four light years away. Proxima Centauri is known to host at least two planets equivalent to Earth, at least in size and structure.

The very narrow frequency of the signal (982 MHz) indicates a technical source, but the specific band of the spectrum is not normally associated with human transmission, satellites or other spacecraft.

Over the past few years the Breakthrough team has been able to come together through a number of potential signals to produce an offshore intelligence product. So far, they have all been explained by static, interference, natural phenomena or other sources that are certainly not alien. Except for everything.

But that still does not mean that it can be said to be an alien. Not even close. Remember that Proxima Centauri is an active star that has the potential to wash away any nearby planets to disinfect the radiation from the occasional solar flare.

Seth Showstack of the Seti Institute believes it is still possible to interpret the signal by means of a telemetry signal from an orbiting satellite.

Showstock says the signal is likely to come from a very distant signal that occurs behind the Proxima Centauri. Or is there a world yet to be discovered in this region with a strong emitting magnetic field?

“Of course, it is always possible that the signal is really local.” Shostak writes. “When a microwave oven in the break room of the Parks Radio telescope generated signals five years ago, there were significant disturbances, the first signals that something significant was happening in the distant universe. In fact, it was just someone who warmed up lunch. ”