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THE PLANETARY SOCIETY - Australian Volunteers:
GPO Box 2086, Canberra 2601 AUSTRALIA, 61-6-241-6019,
- for the main office at: 65 North Catalina Avenue, Pasadena CA 91106 USA,
	1-818-793-5100, fx:1-818-793-5528
______________________________________________________________________
RELEASE 94-03	May 19, 1994	Contact: Matthew James 06-274-7594W.

PROJECT PHOENIX TO LOOK FOR LIFE IN SPACE FROM AUSTRALIA

Australia is becoming the centre of important work in the search for
extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), through its participating role in
Project Phoenix.  From January 16, 1995 the CSIRO Parkes Radio-telescope
shall scan some 230 nearby Sun-like stars in a targeted search for signs
of intelligent life.  With advanced signal processing equipment supplied
by the SETI Institute, stemming from NASA's abandoned HRMS project,
scientists will use the CSIRO's radio astronomy facilities to scan the
southern skies for four and one-half months.

At a recent Planetary Society lecture during the Australian Science
Festival, Parkes director Professor Marcus Price indicated that the
search would involve local staff and continue as long as funds permit.
He said that the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics would provide the 1 to 3
GHz low-noise receiver and antenna feed required for the project.  A
separate antenna at Mopra will provide for signal validation if a
candidate event occurs.  There will be a two week opportunity for
Australian scientists to use the SETI equipment for their projects.

The SETI Institute equipment is all housed in a transportable van and
includes a spectrum analyser, interference tester, doppler shift
analyser and decoding equipment.  It can analyse signals down to 1HZ
over a 20MHz bandwidth in real time.  This is roughly equivalent to
studying five simultaneous television pictures for signs of
intelligence!  When it travels to the northern hemisphere, the equipment
will examine some 750 stars from USA and France.

At the lecture, Professor Price also stressed the importance of this
exciting exercise, though noting that no economic cost-benefit analysis
was possible to support it in monetary terms.  Private funds have
enabled the SETI Institute to save NASA's original program from oblivion
after Congressional cutbacks.  Who knows; possibly Project Phoenix may
answer the ultimate question of 'Are we alone'?  If the answer is
affirmative, then the implications are awesome, or the search must
continue.  Should the answer be negative, then SETI represents a
challenge to the established order, with far reaching political, social,
and religious results.

END