- #1
john.andrews
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Little preface to this series of questions, I'm really into theoretical physics but I have very little astronomy knowledge. I'm a very curious person so feel free to talk over my head and I'll google what I need.
That being said, I'm participating in Novembers "Novel Writing Month" as a fun project in my spare time. I'm doing some research into astronomical facts I'd like to use to justify some things in my story. I figured I could make stuff up, or I could learn something and add a bit of authenticity to the book.
Long story short, we receive a signal which appears to be a mass of alien transmissions (something like what aliens 50 light years away would be getting from us right now...). The thing is I want the aliens to be at about a 1960s level of technological development and I'd like them to be far enough away that they wouldn't be able to see any of our transmissions (meaning pre-1930s, at least 100 or so light years away). I'd like to select a real star to use in the story.
-What real star could I use that is at least 100 light years away and could possibly have a planet around it that supports life (even, especially if none has been discovered)?
-What justification can I use as to why we haven't noticed any transmissions from this planet before? (I'm thinking something like a lensing effect, a star blocking it's path, a strange orbit, etc... not "they weren't sending any out into space")
I know it's a lot to ask (feel free to just point me in the right direction, I'm not shying away from research), but any advice/ideas/help would be great!
That being said, I'm participating in Novembers "Novel Writing Month" as a fun project in my spare time. I'm doing some research into astronomical facts I'd like to use to justify some things in my story. I figured I could make stuff up, or I could learn something and add a bit of authenticity to the book.
Long story short, we receive a signal which appears to be a mass of alien transmissions (something like what aliens 50 light years away would be getting from us right now...). The thing is I want the aliens to be at about a 1960s level of technological development and I'd like them to be far enough away that they wouldn't be able to see any of our transmissions (meaning pre-1930s, at least 100 or so light years away). I'd like to select a real star to use in the story.
-What real star could I use that is at least 100 light years away and could possibly have a planet around it that supports life (even, especially if none has been discovered)?
-What justification can I use as to why we haven't noticed any transmissions from this planet before? (I'm thinking something like a lensing effect, a star blocking it's path, a strange orbit, etc... not "they weren't sending any out into space")
I know it's a lot to ask (feel free to just point me in the right direction, I'm not shying away from research), but any advice/ideas/help would be great!