# Humanity's First Message to the Stars: The Arecibo Message

# This is your Astronomy Tonight podcast.

Good evening, stargazers! Today is November 24th, and we're celebrating one of the most dramatic and consequential moments in modern astronomy!

On this date in **1974, the radio telescope at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico transmitted humanity's first intentional message to the stars.** We're talking about the famous Arecibo Message – a cosmic telegram sent toward the globular cluster M13, located about 25,000 light-years away!

Picture this: scientists gathered at one of the world's most powerful radio telescopes, and they decided to say "hello" to the universe. The message was a 1,679-bit transmission that contained some seriously cool information:

- **The numbers 1 through 10** (because, you know, math is universal)
- **The atomic numbers of elements crucial to life** – hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and phosphorus
- **The structure of DNA** – the very blueprint of life on Earth!
- **A representation of a human figure** – our cosmic selfie, if you will
- **Our solar system** – showing where we are in relation to the sun
- **The Arecibo telescope itself** – basically saying, "This is the cool thing we used to send this message!"

The message was encoded in binary, blasted out at 1,420 megahertz, and contained about 1.68 times more power than we'd normally use. It was the ultimate statement of cosmic confidence – humanity essentially waving from a lonely planet and saying, "Hey, we're here, and we're pretty interesting!"

Now here's the humbling part: if anyone receives this message, the earliest they could possibly respond is around the year 27,974. Talk about patience! But that's the beautiful thing about this moment – it represents our species' optimism, curiosity, and willingness to reach out into the cosmic dark.

Whether anyone's listening or not, on November 24th, 1974, we took our place in the conversation of the cosmos.

---

Be sure to **subscribe to the Astronomy Tonight podcast** so you never miss another cosmic celebration! If you want more information about tonight's astronomical events or the wonders of the universe, check out **QuietPlease.AI**.

Thank you for listening to another **Quiet Please Production!**

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Now this is your Astronomy to Night podcast. Good Evening Stargrazers.
Today is November twenty fourth, and were celebrating one of
the most dramatic and consequential moments in modern astronomy. On
this date. In nineteen seventy four, the radio telescope at
Areciba Observatory in Puerto Rico transmitted humanity's first intentional message

(00:20):
to the stars. We're talking about the famous Arecibo Message,
a cosmic telegram sent toward the globular cluster N thirteen,
located about twenty five thousand like years away. Picture this.
Scientists gather at one of the world's most powerful radio
telescopes and they decided to say hello to the universe.
The message was a one thousand, six hundred and seventy

(00:42):
nine bit transmission that contained some seriously cool information m
HS the numbers one through ten because you know, math
is universal. The atomic numbers of elements crucial to life hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, oxygen,
and phosphorus. The structure of DNA, the very blueprint of

(01:02):
life on Earth. M h S. A representation of a
human figure, our cosmic selfie if you will, m h S.
Our solar system showing where we are in relation to
the Sun. The eerisobo telescope itself, basically saying this is
the cool thing we used to send this message. The
message was encoded in binary, blasted out at one thousand,

(01:25):
four hundred and twenty megahertz, and contained about one point
six eight times more power than we'd normally use. It
was the ultimate statement of cosmic confidence humanity, essentially waving
from a lonely planet and saying, hey, we're here and
we're pretty interesting. Now here's the humbling part. If any
one receives this message, the earliest they could possibly respond

(01:47):
is around the year twenty seven thousand, nine hundred seventy four.
Talk about patients. But that's the beautiful thing about this moment.
It represents our species optimism, curiosity, and willingness to reach
out into the cosmic dark, whether any one's listening or not.
On November twenty fourth, nineteen seventy four, we took our
place in the conversation of the cosmos. Be sure to

(02:09):
subscribe to the Astronomy to Night podcast so you never
miss another cosmic celebration. If you want more information about
to Night's astronomical events or the Wonders of the Universe.
Check out Quiet Please dot Ai, thank you for listening
to another Quiet Please. Production