"Most searches assume a powerful signal, like a beacon intended to reach distant planets, because our receivers have a sensitivity limit to a minimum transmitter power beyond anything we unintentionally send out," said study lead author Nick Tusay, an astronomer at Penn State University, in a statement about the work. "But, with better equipment, like the upcoming Square Kilometer Array, we might soon be able to detect signals from an alien civilization communicating with its spacecraft."
These communications would be made over narrowband radio signals, which require less power to send out. Because they're smaller, however, they're also much harder to detect at great distances. The team waited for what's known as planet-planet occultations to occur, allowing for a better chance to capture these subtle signals.
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