how can this program work if...

all of these computers are only processing the same signals from the same ground-based antennae? sure, the VLA is a nice set of satellites on the ground as is the Arecibo transmitter in Puerto Rico, but they still would have to penetrate through a great deal of atmosphere and radiation to get those signals from the stars

i love the idea of SETI, but the only way this program can really be successful is if we launch a few space-based antennae. The way it is now, the ground level antennaes are bogged down by lots of background radio waves from TV, communications, etc.

Yes, you are right. Maybe there is a reason why it is such ?????

Maybe they dont want you listening in on everything thats "out there"

Hi AlnilamOmega!!

Radio astronomy examines parts of the Electro-magnetic spectrum at wavelengths that "pass" through the atmosphere unimpeded (unlike wavelengths in the visible spectrum).

The "only" problem with radio astronomy is man-made RFI, such as portable phones, etc, that are transmitted near to the receivers.

SETI@home as a program is configured to "reject" implausably "high" signals that might emanate from such "local" interference, so the signals that *we* process are those received from radio objects within our galaxy.

As for space based radio telescopes: they would have to be very large to get the resolution (or have lots of receivers to use interferometry) so, presently, they would probably be infeasible (or not considered "important" enough to be funded??)

There's lot's that ground-based radio astronomy can tell us, not just about the serach for "ET" but about deep space - and the origins of the Universe - too!!