Legendary Astronomer Frank Drake has Passed Away

Drake died at the age of 92. He pioneered the field of SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, and was an astronomer. His work and life have left a mark on the world.

The Drake Equation was the first thing that came to my mind. It was a big deal. The idea that we could plug genuine numbers into the equation means we don't have to be haphazard in thinking about the possibility of life elsewhere.

The Drake Equation gives a framework for seriously considering the possibility of other life in the universe. It gives us hope that one day we'll be able to plug in numbers to all the variables.

The equation is said to be a great way to organize our ignorantness. I like to say that Drake gave us a new way of looking at the universe.

When radio stations started broadcasting in the 1920's, it didn't take long for scientists to realize they were sending signals out into space at the speed of light. If another civilization from a distant world was also making similar transmissions, could we hear them?

Drake came up with the idea for SETI in 1959 and designed an experiment to detect signals from intelligent life on planets that are in close proximity to two sunlike stars. He aimed the Tatel Telescope at the two stars for three months. We didn't know for certain that other stars hosted planets, but we did know that planets were found around both of those stars.

The National Academy of Sciences asked Drake to organize a search for extraterrestrial intelligence after Project Ozma attracted so much attention. He came up with an equation to start the discussion.

We can plug in at least one of the numbers because the search has come up empty. Almost all stars have planets, and there could be as many as 300 million Earth-sized rocky worlds in the universe.

There are other ways to look at the equation. Drakes daughter is a space and science journalist. She wrote last year that the Drake Equation's most enduring legacy is not a numerical solution but a mirror.

Drake was a great scientist, but he was also a great human. The Drake's family can be found on the website.

SETI institute remembers Frank Drake.