BBC News Online: World: Americas

New search for aliens

Scientists in the United States have unveiled their latest project to look for signs of other intelligent life in the universe.

If it is ever completed, the telescope will be the world's most advanced tool for seeking out signals from civilisations elsewhere in space.

SETI, or the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, has been operating since 1992.

At the moment, the privately-funded project relies on using available time on the world's biggest radio telescopes such as the one at Arecibo in Puerto Rico.

But this arrangement is not ideal, and the scientists at SETI have been planning their own telescope completely devoted to seeking out new life and civilisation.

Satellite dishes

Once completed, the One Hectare telescope will consist of a field of small individual satellite dishes, which will operate together in an array.

Scientists will use a prototype of just a few dishes to iron out any problems.

They work out how to shield the telescope from the massive amount of interference caused by the millions of radio signals generated by humanity.

Many scientists believe there is life elsewhere in the universe but so far there is little evidence to suggest that any of it might be intelligent.

Despite the release earlier this week of satellite pictures which show the secret area 51 test site in Nevada to be nothing more than an airfield, UFO buffs are still convinced the US base contains alien technology.

If that is the case, then ET is already among us.