It's possible that aliens have read one of Earth's ‘is anybody out there?’ messages, but experts predict it will take them 27 years to respond. Space is so vast that it takes light years to send and receive messages, slowing down humankind's search for extraterrestrial life.

In an effort to elicit a response from intelligent alien life, NASA's Deep Space Network, often known as DSN, is a global network of radio dishes that has sent radio signals to remote regions of the Solar System. Real-life Aliens on Area 51? Ex-CIA Agent Claims To Have Seen UFOs, Confirms Existence of Extraterrestrials At The US Military Base (Watch Video).

Scientists have calculated that a signal from the Pioneer 10 space mission, which was launched in 1972 and is currently 12 billion miles from Earth, arrived at a white dwarf dead star 27 light years away in 2002.

However, according to analysts, Earth would not receive a reply from any alien life nearby that dead star until at least 2029. In 1980 and 1983, signals were sent to Voyager 2, which was launched in 1977 and is now more than 12 billion miles away. In 2007, those signals arrived at two distant stars. Though, scientists do not anticipate hearing back from the aliens until at least the early 2030s.

In a recent study that was published in the journal Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, researchers compiled a list of stars that will come into contact with Earth's transmissions within the next century.

However, due to the slowness of space communications, Earth should not hold its breath while awaiting answers. Even if ET delivers a reply, critics say, scientists might not receive it.

According to scientists, if a response were to be delivered, there are many variables that would affect our ability to detect it, including how long or frequently we check the star for a response and how long or frequently the return signal is transmitted. NASA Planning To Launch Pictures of Naked Humans Into Space in Hope of Luring Aliens.

Furthermore, since Earth's radio emissions have only reached one millionth of the Milky Way's volume, it seems improbable that extraterrestrials will identify humans through our meagre and infrequent transmissions.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2023 09:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).