Lexington, Kentucky has made history by launching the world’s first interstellar tourism campaign, beaming an advertisement into space inviting alien civilizations to visit the city. The beam contained messages highlighting Lexington’s horses, bourbon, and bluegrass in an effort to attract extraterrestrial tourists.
Campaign Beams Laser at Nearby Star System
On January 11th, 2024 scientists with the VisitLex tourism board used a high-powered laser at the Kentucky Horse Park to beam a radio message towards the red dwarf star Wolf 359. Located 7.86 lightyears from Earth in the Leo constellation, Wolf 359 was chosen because it hosts several exoplanets that could potentially harbor life.
The radio beam contained a simple message repeated for several minutes across various frequencies. Encoded within were invitations to visit Lexington, messages of welcome in several languages, depictions of human forms alongside Kentucky’s iconic horses, as well as references to subjects like bourbon that could convey hospitality.
While a response is not expected for decades if at all, the stunt aligns with VisitLex’s goal of promoting Lexington as an inclusive tourist destination. As VisitLex spokesperson Mary Quinn Ramer noted, “Lexington is a city built by immigrants from all over the world, and we want to continue that spirit of inclusion. We may not have experience hosting extraterrestrial visitors before, but we have world-famous Kentucky hospitality and we think aliens will appreciate that.”
Kentucky Scientists CalculateOdds of Alien Life in Targeted System
University of Kentucky astronomers were consulted to help select the star system and calculate the odds that life may have emerged on one of its planets.
While Wolf 359 may seem an unlikely candidate at first given its small size and variability, UK Professor Jeff Smith explained, “Red dwarfs are by far the most common type of star. They make up about 70% of the hundreds of billions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy alone. So while risky, we had to consider if some of those planets hosted tough Extremophiles capable of surviving intense stellar flares.”
Below is a summary of the known exoplanets in the Wolf 359 system and a rough estimate of their habitability:
| Planet | Distance from Star | Period | Min Mass | Potential Habitability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf 359 b | 0.0553 AU | 6.08 days | 5.0 Earth masses | Too hot, likely not habitable |
| Wolf 359 c | 0.125 AU | 24.4 days | 13.2 Earth masses | Possibly habitable if it has a thick atmosphere and magnetic field |
| Wolf 359 d | 0.078 AU | 15.2 days | 0.7 Earth masses | Too small to be habitable |
While the prospects are low, astronomers estimate a 0.1% chance that advanced life exists on one of these worlds capable of receiving and decoding the beam’s messages. Still, Professor Smith noted the campaign serves an important secondary purpose: “This stunt sparks conversations about the abundance of worlds beyond our solar system and whether we are alone. The unknown propels human imagination and innovation.”
What Messages Were Beamed to the Alien Civilizations?
The radio beam transmitted several types of messages repeatedly over the course of 8 minutes:
- Mathematical and physical constants like the fine structure constant as a basis for communication
- A simplified depiction of human forms alongside a horse to convey intelligence and Earth culture
- An invitation in several languages proclaiming “Hello from Lexington, Kentucky!”
- Lexington’s geographic coordinates in various formats to convey location
- Descriptions of local icons like horses, bourbon, bluegrass music, and natural beauty to promote Lexington as a tourist destination
These messages let alien listeners deduce humans exist on the third planet orbiting a G-type main sequence star. By including references to Lexington’s status as the “Horse Capital of the World” and the home of bourbon distilleries, the beam promotes distinct travel destinations.
Dr. Jerry Mills, Associate Professor of Astrophysics at the University of Kentucky, explained the logic: “By communicating our unique features as a tourist locale under themes of inclusiveness and hospitality, we maximize our chances that cosmic civilizations would reciprocate should they intercept the transmission.”
He added, “Imagine if alien listeners could appreciate the Kentucky Derby or the craft behind our bourbons – there could be an interstellar tourist boom!”
Are Aliens Likely to Visit Lexington?
While creativity merits the campaign praise, most experts agree the odds of aliens visiting Lexington based on this message alone remain incredibly unlikely.
The beam transmission lasted only 8 minutes using a relatively low-powered laser. While loudly broadcasting to the star system compared to leakage radiation from TV and radio, it still represents a faint signal given vast interstellar distances.
For context, detecting transmissions from the Voyager probes at the edge of our solar system requires using the largest radio telescopes on Earth. Without intentionally targeting signals to Earth or employing higher-powered beacons, the odds of passive message detection by extrasolar civilizations are extremely low.
There’s also the question of whether intelligent life exists close enough to receive the messages. While astronomers have catalogued thousands of exoplanets within a few dozen lightyears, current evidence suggests primitive microbial lifeforms may be common but advanced civilizations are likely exceptionally rare at interstellar distances.
Astrobiologist Dr. Sasha Torgovnick remains cautiously optimistic:
“I’d estimate a 0.1% chance Wolf 359 hosts a technological civilization capable of detecting signals from Earth. But the romantic in me holds out hope however slim that an explorer species with a penchant for fine bourbon hears our invitation! Even if no aliens show up, this campaign captures public imagination and advances space exploration – and those goals have value themselves.”
So prospects remain slim that ET tourists will flock to see horses and drink bourbon anytime soon. However, scientists laud VisitLex’s campaign for raising interest in space science and the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
What’s Next for VisitLex’s Interstellar Tourism Plans?
VisitLex considers this messaging campaign only their first attempt to promote Lexington and Kentucky to tourists beyond our solar system. As part of a 10 year initiative, they plan to iterate on interstellar messaging technology and target additional nearby systems.
Some planned next directions highlight:
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Upgrading laser broadcast power 10-100x over the next 5 years to increase transmission range and information bandwidth potential. This includes leveraging experimental laser optical systems from the University of Kentucky.
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Identifying the next 3-5 exoplanetary systems within 15 lightyears to beam iterative tourism messages. These may shift target priorities based on new research discoveries over the coming decade.
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Augmenting messages with sensory information beyond audio/visual communications. While the technical feasibility remains under investigation, ideas like conveying bourbon’s aroma chemically could provide unique hooks.
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Launching CubeSat miniprobes powered by next-generation solar sails that carry digital messages. Advanced propulsion concepts could allow probes to actually reach destinations like Wolf 359 for direct flyby data transmission by the 2030s.
So while practical interstellar travel remains firmly in science fiction for the foreseeable future, VisitLex aims to accelerate research initiatives bringing us incrementally closer. As alien visitation itself faces long odds, Director Mary Quinn Ramer explains the organization’s persistence and optimism:
“Space exploration expands what humanity believes possible. While welcoming actual aliens would achieve our wildest dreams, the real priority is sparking conversations that inspire human advancement. Every small step potentially unlocks giant leaps our children take for the future. If alien tourists do show, Lexington will give them an experience beyond this world while capturing hearts universally!”
So watch the skies travelers – you never know when an extraterrestrial visitor may sample a Kentucky bourbon, witness a stakes race, or jam along to bluegrass with a little Kentucky hospitality! This historic tourism campaign kicks off a decade-long effort to make such cosmic dreams just a little more tangible.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
