Kepler's 'Alien Megastructure' Is Now The Focus Of SETI Researchers Looking For Extraterrestrial Life

Scientists Might Be About To Find Out What's Inside Kepler's 'Alien Megastructure'
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Research into an 'alien megastructure' found by Kepler Space Telescope has begun in earnest.

The mysterious structure has taken centre stage at the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute in California.

Astronomers will be using the Allen Telescope Array (ATA), to find out what is behind the structure that caused quite a stir among scientists and alien hunters alike.

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It was first spotted by the Kepler Space Telescope team, who picked up on a "bizarre" star system that was emitting strange light patterns that scientists could not explain.

The star, dubbed KIC 8462852, appeared to be surrounded by a swarm of objects that one astronomer described as "something you would expect an alien civilisation to build.”

In a bid to ascertain whether extraterrestrial life can take credit for the system, Seth Shostak, a senior astronomer at the SETI, said: "We are looking at it with the Allen Telescope Array."

Speaking to Space.com, he said: "I think we ought to, for sure..."

While Kepler's initial findings gave rise to a lot of excitement around the existence of aliens, Shostak urged for a bit more calm saying people "should perhaps moderate their enthusiasm with the lessons of history."

The lessons he spoke off to Space.com, harken back to the 1960s when pulsars were first detected.

Pulsars, are a type of neutron star, that emits electromagnetic beams.

When they were first spotted, researchers believed them to be a sign of alien life.

Basing his comments on this, Shostak added: "So history suggests we're going to find an explanation for this that doesn't involve Klingons, if you will."