传统的地外智慧生命搜索项目通常聚焦于1.42至1.66 GHz的无线电频段，但研究表明这一方法可能遗漏了大量探索空间[1]。英国曼彻斯特大学研究人员卢易莎·梅森利用ALMA望远镜的归档数据进行了首次针对毫米波和亚毫米波段的SETI调查[1]。虽然本次调查未在设定检测阈值以上发现任何候选技术信号[1]，但研究成果为未来的高频搜索工作提供了重要参考。
这项研究的关键发现在于对观测数据的重新评估[1]。在包含1,327个望远镜指向的早期SETI调查中，研究人员发现观测的恒星数量远高于最初估计[1]。利用盖亚数据初步识别的约28.8万颗恒星被重新分析后，根据贝桑松银河系模型的估计增加至610万颗以上[1]。这一发现表明现有望远镜的归档数据可被重新利用进行SETI搜索，无需投入全新的观测活动[1]。该研究成果已在英国皇家天文学会2026年全国天文学会议上发表[1]。
Astronomers have traditionally concentrated their search for extraterrestrial intelligence on radio frequencies between 1.42 and 1.66 GHz, a region known as the "water hole," but researchers have identified significantly higher millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths that remain largely unexplored for signs of alien signals.[1] A team from the University of Manchester in England, led by Louisa Massey, conducted the first SETI survey at these higher radio frequencies using archived data from the ALMA telescope.[1] Although no candidate technical signals were detected above the established threshold during the investigation, the research demonstrated that even limited telescope observations can encompass millions of stars, opening new avenues for high-frequency SETI searches.[1]
The early SETI survey examined 1,327 telescope pointing positions and revealed the potential scale of such investigations.[1] Initial estimates based on data from the Gaia catalog identified approximately 288,000 observed stars, but when analyzed using the Besançon Galactic Model, the number rose to over 6.1 million stars.[1] This finding underscores the value of repurposing existing telescope archive data for SETI purposes without requiring new observation campaigns.[1] The research was presented at the Royal Astronomical Society's 2026 National Astronomy Meeting in the United Kingdom.[1]