How to Use SETI Software to Virtually Search for Extra Terrestrial Life

The rise of virtual astronomy has given amateur astronomers the ability to scour the heavens for new discoveries alongside professional scientists like never before. Virtual astronomers use software distributed over the internet to search for new planets or even signs of extra terrestrial life. With no cost or pay involved, except for that of one's own personal computer and internet connection, these searches are ostensibly conducted out of the love for the hunt and our ongoing romance with the mystery of outer space.

Virtual astronomy has been a growing hobby for many during the past decade. Two years ago, Jay McNeil of Kentucky took a picture of a new nebula - an illuminated cloud of gas and dust lit by what is believed to be a newborn star. This discovery marked perhaps one of the most exciting and famous amateur astronomical discoveries in over half a century.

If you find the prospect of virtual astronomy tantalizing, you may be wondering how you can get involved. The SETI(at)home software is a great way to get started searching for life in outer space from your own computer. SETI(at)home has been around since the late 1990s, and it was during this time that I logged in a few hours or so looking for extra terrestrial life. A few things have changed since then, but it's still a fairly straightforward process to get started dedicating your extra computing minutes to the SETI(at)home software, which works like a screensaver to search for extra terrestrial life in the background when you're not using your computer.