By Cameron Kerkau, Staff Reporter.
Are we alone in the universe? No one can know for sure, but according to Astronomy and Physics Professor Aurelian Balan, the math says probably not. On Mar. 18, Balan gave a presentation at the Planetarium considering the possibility of alien civilizations in our galaxy.
According to Balan, there are four hundred billion stars in our galaxy, and it’s believed that each one of those stars has at least one planet orbiting it.
“So then you’ve got to ask yourself, how many of those planets are suitable for life?” says Balan.
He explains that for a planet to be able to sustain life, it must be located in the habitable zone of it’s solar system. The habitable zone is the region around a star that is capable of supporting liquid water.
“Too close to the sun, water evaporates… too far from the sun, and the water is frozen,” explains Balan.
This is just one of the factors taken into account with the Drake Equation, which according to Balan, estimates the number of civilizations in our galaxy with which communication might be possible.
“If you solve this equation optimistically… you get something like, a million civilizations just in our galaxy capable of communicating with us. If you solve this equation pessimistically, you still get a few hundred,” says Balan.
So why haven’t we ever made contact with aliens? The conflict that arises between the high probability of alien civilization and the fact that we’ve never communicated with any is referred to as the Fermi Paradox. Balan explains that there are multiple hypotheses that attempt to provide an answer to the Fermi Paradox, though some are more likely than others.
Balan explains one of the more colorful theories. “It’s called the zoo-keeper hypothesis. The aliens are here, and they’ve locked us in some sort of cosmic cage, and they’re observing us, and they have us on display for the universe to see,” says Balan.
Though he’s not sure when, Balan is confident that he will give his presentation on the possibility of alien civilizations at the Planetarium again.
Whether aliens may be lurking up there or not, Balan encourages everyone “to sit back, look up and enjoy the night sky with some friends.”
