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Initially, the astronomers at SETI thought the signal was nothing more than random noise. But, after the same message was returned by several of the computers across the SETI network, they decided to analyze the message more closely. The received transmission was 20 minutes and 12 seconds long, or a little more than one bit every half a second. The original transmission was received at 2112 MHz and modulated by shifting the frequency by 13.0 Hz.
There has been much debate about the origin of the message. Some of the more eccentric astronomers think the message came from another time rather than from another place or outer space.
Others, including senior members of SETI and JPL have confirmed that the Doppler effect on the message is of a blue-shift. Many there have speculated that this is a terrestrial message from our predecessors that has somehow bounced off the heliosphere and has returned to us, perhaps as a results of the decreasing solar winds.
But, they all agree that this can't be a response to Dr. Drake's message. After all, how could it?
That transmission was still 25,000 years from reaching its destination. Yet the similarities are more than coincidental.
The message has been processed by multiple computers, assembled by hand and check over for error many times. The data is good, but what does it mean ... that is another story.
However, right now that is not important, obviously, someone, some place and in some time is trying to tell us something.
Perhaps they are trying to warn us of the end of days?
Perhaps they know something about our most mysterious secrets?
Regardless, no one knows what exactly the message means, but that all know this is important. Really important!
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