Researchers from the University of California at Boulder analyzed radio signals emitted by Earth using equipment aboard the Odyssey module stationed on the Moon. The findings were shared at the annual gathering of the American Astronomical Society, the AAS.
According to the experiment’s lead, the project demonstrated that placing a radio observatory on a distant celestial body provides a unique view of Earth as if it were an exoplanet, a world orbiting another star.
The team posed a provocative question: how would Earth’s radio emissions appear to an alien civilization on a nearby exoplanet? The exploration team’s lead, Dr. Burns, suggested that the perspective of an extraterrestrial observer could reveal differences in detectability and interpretation of human technology from afar.
Odyssey captured Earth’s radio background over approximately ninety minutes, recording signals from cellular networks, broadcast towers, and other human-made sources. The resulting data set can be described as a planetary radio self-portrait or a behavioural snapshot of Earth in the radio spectrum.
The scientists noted that a comparable Earth-observing experiment last occurred in the 1990s via NASA’s Galileo mission. While Galileo offered important insights, Odyssey provided a more extensive and nuanced dataset for analysis.
Plans are underway to repeat a similar experiment using another lunar platform, CLIPS, in 2026, expanding the comparative study of how Earth would appear to observers on a different body in the lunar vicinity.
A prior Chinese lunar mission achieved a successful landing on the far side of the Moon, marking a notable milestone in lunar exploration. (Attribution: American Astronomical Society, NASA, and related space agencies)