The discovery of an unconfirmed extrasolar planet, dubbed Gliese 581g, was announced last month during a press briefing on September 29th.

Since that time, an Australian astronomer named Ragbir Bhathal claims to have detected a suspicious alien signal from the same area of the galaxy where Gliese 581g is located. He claims that he detected the signal two years ago. The astronomer, a scientist at the University of Western Sydney, is also a member of SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence).

The claim of the signal detected by Bhathal has drawn wide skepticism from scientists, despite the belief that Gliese 581g would likely be habitable.

During the press briefing in September, one scientist speculated the chances of life on this planet at 100%:

“Personally, given the ubiquity and propensity of life to flourish wherever it can, I would say, my own personal feeling is that the chances of life on this planet are 100 percent,” said Steven Vogt, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “I have almost no doubt about it.”

It remains to be seen if any possible life on the planet is intelligent and capable of sending signals from Gliese 581g. The planet is located 20 light years from Earth in the constellation Libra. Researchers have estimated that its mass is three to four times Earth’s. Researchers believe it is likely a rocky planet with enough gravity to hold on to an atmosphere.

Claim of Alien Signal from Planet Gliese 581g Called ‘Very Suspicious’
By Denise Chow
SPACE.com

The recent discovery of Gliese 581g, an alien planet in the habitable zone of another star, has been an exciting development for scientists probing the galaxy for signs of extraterrestrial life. At least one claim of a possible signal from the planet has already surfaced – and been met with harsh skepticism among the science community.

[READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE AT SPACE.COM]

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