Astronomy Department Research Project

Breakthrough Listen Initiative

Planetary

Lead:
Andrew Siemion

Faculty:
Imke de Pater

Postdocs:

Graduate Students:
Yunfan (Gerry) Zhang

Additional members:

Project Description

The Breakthrough Listen Initiative, sponsored by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation, is the most powerful, comprehensive and intensive scientific search ever undertaken for signs of intelligent life beyond Earth. The project is using the Green Bank radio telescope in West Virginia,  the Parkes Telescope in Australia and the MeerKat Array in South Africa to search for radio transmissions from advanced civilizations.  In addition, the Automated Planet Finder at Lick Observatory is being used to search for optical laser transmissions from other technological civilizations.  Additional partnerships with other international facilities, including FAST (China) and the Jodrell Bank Observatory (UK), extend the program’s observational reach.

Project Photos

Project Videos

Berkeley SETI Research Center highlights