The Astronomical Observatory of the University of Valencia (OAUV), located in the University of Valencia Science Park , calls students of ESO, high school and vocational training to participate in the contest 'Telegram to a planet'. The aim is to compose a graphic message to establish the first contact with a possible alien civilization on Teegarden b, a potentially habitable planet 12.5 light years away from our Solar System. The winning message will be launched into space from the INTA antennas located at ESA's European Space Astronomy Center in Madrid. The objective, to publicize the international SETI program to search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Communication with possible extraterrestrial civilizations has been part of the collective imagination for generations and there are many examples that attest to this in literature and cinema. But also in science. Galileo already wondered if there were living beings on the Moon and other planets, and researchers of all times and cultures have reflected on the plurality of inhabited worlds. This concern led to the start of the SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) program in the 1960s, which has been actively searching for signs of other civilizations in the universe ever since.
The contest is a way to contribute to disseminate among the educational community the SETI program; its foundations, methods, protagonists and most notable milestones, as well as to reflect on the possibility of establishing any form of contact with an extraterrestrial civilization
'Telegram to a planet' is aimed at students from schools all over Spain, from 3rd ESO to 2nd year of Bachillerato and FP (FPB and CCFF GM), led by a teacher. The contest is a way to contribute to disseminate among the educational community the SETI program; its foundations, methods, protagonists and most notable milestones, as well as to reflect on the possibility of establishing any form of contact with an extraterrestrial civilization. The program is accompanied by a didactic guide to work in class on the concept of Astrobiology.
To participate in the competition, the entry form must be completed and submitted by September 29, 2023. The deadline for submitting entries is October 31, 2023.
The contest is a collaboration between the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Valencia (OAUV), the educational program CESAR (ESA/INTA/ISDEFE), the Centro de Astrobiología CAB (CSIC-INTA), the Institut d'Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) and TV3.
More information:
https://observatori.uv.es/laula-del-cel/telegrama-a-un-planeta/