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Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

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Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles was created by Seanie_Morris

The Beatles are about to become radio stars in a whole new way.

NASA on Monday will broadcast the Beatles' song "Across the Universe" across the galaxy to Polaris, the North Star.

This first-ever beaming of a radio song by the space agency directly into deep space is nostalgia-driven. It celebrates the 40th anniversary of the song, the 45th anniversary of NASA's Deep Space Network, which communicates with its distant probes, and the 50th anniversary of NASA.

"Send my love to the aliens," Paul McCartney told NASA through a Beatles historian. "All the best, Paul."

The song, written by McCartney and John Lennon, may have a ticket to ride and will be flying at the speed of light. But it will take 431 years along a long and winding road to reach its final destination. That's because Polaris is 2.5 quadrillion miles away.

NASA loaded an MP3 of the song, just under four minutes in its original version, and will transmit it digitally at 7 p.m. EST Monday (Midnight Tuesday Irish Time) from its giant antenna in Madrid, Spain. But if you wanted to hear it on Polaris, you would need an antenna and a receiver to convert it back to music, the same way people receive satellite television.

The idea came from Martin Lewis, a Los Angeles-based Beatles historian, who then got permission from McCartney, Yoko Ono and the two companies that own the rights to Beatles' music. One of those companies, Apple, was happy to approve the idea because is "always looking for new markets," Lewis said.

Perhaps coincidentally, the song's launching comes a day before the release of the DVD of the Julie Taymor movie named after the Beatles hit.
Midlands Astronomy Club.
Radio Presenter (Midlands 103), Space Enthusiast, Astronomy Outreach Co-ordinator.
Former IFAS Chairperson and Secretary.
15 years 1 day ago #62139

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Replied by phoenix on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

Oh bloody great! Our first alien contact will be 'You have been reported to the server for spamming' :lol:
Kieran
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15 years 1 day ago #62153

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Replied by pj30something on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

Could be worse. It could have been a Spice Girls song they beamed up there.........

I'm thinking "GOODBYE" would have be an appropriate one.
Paul C
My next scope is going to be a Vixen VMC200L Catadioptric OTA
15 years 23 hours ago #62161

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Replied by Petermark on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

Polaris already has it's own drumbeat:

Hipparcos fixes the distance of Polaris at 430 light-years, and the researchers conclude that Polaris pulsates with an overtone, at a rate 40 per cent faster than expected for a Cepheid of its size and luminosity. Several other Cepheids gauged by Hipparcos also exhibit overtones. Were these not recognized as fast pulsators they would give false impressions in the Cepheid distance scale.

Hope it makes good music with the Beatles.
Mark.
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15 years 17 hours ago #62163

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Replied by Dread on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

Could be worse. It could have been a Spice Girls song they beamed up there.........


Could have been better, it could have been the Spice Girls they beamed up there, Scary, Dopey, Grumpy and Ugly, the whole shaggin' lot of them. :lol:
Down with vwls.

Declan
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15 years 6 hours ago #62224

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Replied by pj30something on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

AGREED.
Paul C
My next scope is going to be a Vixen VMC200L Catadioptric OTA
15 years 6 hours ago #62227

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Replied by Tonybwf on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

No wonder aliens wont make contact with us with them on the planet :roll:
Regards
Tony

"What we do in life echoes in eternity"
15 years 6 hours ago #62228

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Replied by John D on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

Could you imagine if they sent out 'We all live in a yellow submarine'.

The aliens would think 'We wont go to that planet, their all hippies, getting high, their president is probably stoned right now.' :lol:
John
15 years 4 hours ago #62241

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Replied by EPK on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

I don't know....I'd certainly want to give us a visit if I got "Yellow Submarine".
However, if they tune in on our TV signals, we'll be left alone forever.
With Pop Idol, X Factor, Big Brother, You're A Star and the like, they'll conclude that there's no sign of intelligent life here.
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14 years 11 months ago #62406

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Replied by Mike on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

Now you understand why open contact with a relatively primitive species is a long way off yet. Its not just TV, it is practically everything else about us! Wait until they get a load of Dustin the Turkey on Eurovision night! :)

Mike
I83 Cherryvalley Observatory

After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say; "I WANT TO SEE THE MANAGER".
14 years 11 months ago #62417

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Replied by eansbro on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

I concur with you Mike. I think it is an utter wasteful of money the SETI approach using radio and optical. Nearly 50 years and no contact. NASA & SETI Institute elite are resistent to any other methods of contact approach.

Any other conventional research that is 50 years and nothing to show for it. You would completely cut funds off and close it down!

Thats my rant for the day!

Eamonn A
14 years 11 months ago #62420

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Replied by dmolloy on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

On the basis that it is more effective to listen than to talk, then I can't see what other approaches there is. I know there is talk of looking for lasers etc but have not heard of any other means for looking for ET

SETI i believe is the only concerted effort I know of...and fair play to them that they keep going in the absence of any evidence. (and reduced funding)


declan
14 years 11 months ago #62422

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Replied by Euronymous on topic Re: Polaris to get a tune-in from the Beatles

I pity any lifeforms near Polaris who have to listen to that terrible terrible band
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14 years 11 months ago #62446

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