ARE WE ALONE IN THE UNIVERSE?

For decades now man has breached the atmospheric barriers of this planet. Constantly seeking the answers to questions that have long perplexed the human mind NASA and dozens of other agencies and private companies have been engaged in a constant buildup of space enthusiasm to not only profit thereby but to also expand the human understanding of the universe. The private sector has contributed astronomically to the success of space endeavors and have helped give way to the dawning of a new space race. We now enter a phase that is technologically new and exciting yet at the forefront has one of the oldest questions known to man: Are we alone in the universe?

Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 have given us a treasure of knowledge of our solar system since their launch in the '70's and to this day continue their journey beyond our system and entering realms of the heliosheath. Voyager 1 is now the most distant man-made object from the Earth followed up by Voyager 2. Both of these passed the revered Pioneer spacecrafts in the late '90's and encroaching every mile as a maiden voyage into the unknown.

Within the past few years we have seen great projects sent into space that have blessed us with exciting knowledge of what exists in the great expanse. The Phoenix, Mars Surveyor, Pathfinder with Sojourner, Mars rovers Spirit and Opportunity have all given us a firsthand view of the planet Mars. We have been sent telemetry and detailed imagery of the surface of the planet. In most recent news as we approach 2010 we entertain microbial life on Mars. Some of the most promising news, though, have been the ballooning interest in the discovery of large quantities of water ice on the Moon. The applications of this news is vast and could propel us into a new era of space exploration with the use of a permanent Moon base.

In 2006 the French satellite COROT (Convection Rotation and Planetary Transits) launched for the sole purpose of discovering distant planets. As of the end of 2009 it has discovered over seven exoplanets orbiting distant starts. One of it's primary methods of detection is in the “transits” of a star. In a planetary orbit when it crosses the path between it's parent star and the observer the eclipse dims or pulses the normal light pattern given off. Through spectral analysis of this light planetary orbits, mass and even composition can at least be theoretically ascertained. Over eleven exoplanets, however, have been detected using the study of Doppler. Depending on the size and composition of a planet it does have a gravitational affect on it's parent star. Just as a star keeps a planet in orbit the planet, in partnership, tugs it's star in one direction or another. Truly exciting work which opens up fields of opportunity in the search for life and even “elsewhere” places of habitability.

In 2009 the United States launched the Kepler satellite which beams wide field images, up to 105 degrees, of thousands of stars to Earth. This will be key in accelerating the detection progress on a mass quantity scale. It is programmed to image our neighborhood region of the Milky Way galaxy. Focusing closer it will hone in on the primary habitable zone of stars. This habitable zone is the area around a star in which liquid water and those life sustaining elements are more probable to exist. Kepler and the COROT may significantly change they way we view the universe and our place in it.

Another extension of the human hand to intelligent life in the cosmos is the twelve inch gold plated phonograph record aboard the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecrafts. It is a capsule of images, printed word and also sounds both natural and spoken words in various dialects – a message to curious intelligence. Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 also have a message in the form of a plaque. These are truly a capstone and a testimony on such a momentous project of what we don't yet know of the universe and the hope and assurance of things to come but are as of yet not known. It is the hallmark of human faith.

Whether you are a faith based individual or not the time is now to internalize the questions of the universe. Stop and ponder the possible affects of intelligent life being discovered on other worlds. Far more probable sooner than later would be the discovery of plant life and water. We have been taught since elementary school that water, heat, photosynthesis and a host of other conditions are necessary for the existence of life. How would your view of your own stance in the universe change if even a planet with Earth conditions were found? Would this not be the finality of the question as to whether or not life is even possible elsewhere? The exponentially expanding ideas and thoughts on the subject are humbling at the very least and make most of our day-to-day problems we deal with seem miniscule and really not that important in the grand scheme of things.

As we journey deeper into the 21st century it is the author's hope that we, as a civilization, find the willing heart within to be more open to new learnings of the world around us.  More open to understanding of our own planet and fellow beings but also into the great infinite.  It is the author's belief that knowledge is given precept upon precept according to our readiness to receive that knowledge. 

May we endeavor in such a journey!