ANYONE OUT THERE?EARTH STATION AOT-1 · 1420.405 MHz · HYDROGEN LINE

What would you say to another world?

Write a message, draw a picture the way the Arecibo team did in 1974, pick a real star, and watch your words cross the gap at the speed of light.

01Compose

Words become bits. The picture grid is 23 × 73 because 1,679 cells can only be split into those two primes, which hints to a reader how to unfold it.

As it will travel
TEXT 0 bits PICTURE 0 lit TOTAL 0 bits
Picture · 23 × 73

Click or drag to light cells. The sample counts 1 to 10 in binary, then draws a person.

02Aim

Real stars. The map plots each one by its right ascension around the circle and by distance outward on a log scale, with the Sun at the center.

Birthday sky

Tell us the day you were born and we'll find the constellation the Sun stood in front of that day, and real star systems in that direction. Your birthday stays on this device.

No year needed. Nothing you pick here is saved or sent.

    03Transmit

    Target—
    Arrives—
    Earliest reply—
    Pick a star to arm the transmitter.

    04In transit

    Every message is still moving. Yours are listed first, then real historical transmissions.

    05Public log

    What people on Earth are saying, newest first. Messages pass a filter, and some wait for a person to review them.

    Tuning in to the public log…

    Field notes