Send a Text Message to Planet Gliese

Australian Science Minister Kim Carr will today send an interstellar SMS to Gliese 581d, a planet outside our Solar System, which at a distance of 20 light years, or 194 trillion kilometres, away is the closest Earth-like planet that could support life. The Australian reports.

The message, to be sent from Canberra's Questacon to mark National Science Week, will say: "Hello from Australia on the planet we call Earth. These messages express our people's dreams for the future. We want to share those dreams with you."

If there are aliens out there, they will need a dish to receive the message, which will not arrive before 2029.

It is believed to be the first attempt to make contact with the planet, which astronomers believe could hold abundant liquid water, necessary for supporting life. The planet, whose "years" last just 66.8 days, was discovered in 2007.

Australians can send text messages to the planet via www.hellofromearth.net. Here are some samples of messages sent:

All your bases are belonging to us
Rob
Launceston , Australia

No idea how you're supposed to be able to read English so good luck! hopefuly this finds something out there, greetings from Australia!!
Trent
Gold Coast , Australia

Related: -- Sending text messages into space to contact extra terrestrials - Believers in aliens are sending text messages into space in a bid to make contact with little green men. The messages are sent through website sentforever.com/ originally created to send romantic declarations and expressions of love into the cosmos.

They are beamed across the universe on radio waves using a giant satellite dish

emily | 9:02 AM | New SMS Services |
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