The Galileo Project is a new venture by astronomers that aims to help humanity search for artifacts of extraterrestrial technological civilisations (ETCs). The Galileo Project aims to answer the question, "Are we the smartest children on our cosmic block?" Avi Loeb from Harvard, an astrophysicist, was a co-founder. He spoke at a news conference today (July 26).Loeb and Frank Laukien co-founded this ambitious project, which was founded by Loeb and Frank Laukien. Bruker Corp. is a Massachusetts-based company that designs and manufactures scientific equipment.In a statement, the researchers stated that the international team collaborated with the Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to create the project. They had one goal: "to bring extraterrestrial technological signs from accidental or anecdotal observation and legends into the mainstream of transparent and validated scientific research."Related: 9 scientific reasons why humans haven’t discovered aliens yetArtist's illustration showing 'Oumuamua', the first interstellar object confirmed to have been spotted in our solar systems. (Image credit: M Kornmesser/ESO)Loeb stated today that the Galileo Project has received $1.755 Million in donations over the last two weeks.Galileo Project supports extraterrestrial life, as well as the search for evidence of advanced civilizations. These civilizations could be found through technosignatures (technocrumbs), which are breadcrumbs that have been created by technology.Loeb stated in the statement that "Given recent discoveries of abundances of habitable-zone planetets with potential for extraterrestrial existence, the Galileo Project aims to show that humans cannot ignore the possibility of ETCs." Science should not dismiss extraterrestrial explanations due to social stigmatization or cultural preferences. Now, we must "dare to see through new telescopes", literally and metaphorically.Extraterrestrials are not strangers to Earth. A report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, (ODNI), was presented to Congress on June 25. It revealed that a variety of unidentified aerial phenomena, (UAP), whose nature is unknown, were reported primarily to Navy personnel using multiple sensors, including radar, infrared and electro-optical.The famous cosmic voyeur 'Oumuamua was a pancake-shaped object that was discovered in our neighborhood on October 19, 2017. The strange, out-of-town object was not like any other comet or asteroid and caused a lot of debate in the astronomy community about its origin and identity. Galileo Project seeks to resolve this dispute by identifying the true nature and origin of UAP and other interstellar objects 'Oumuamua like.Laukien stated that such a large-scale project could have far-reaching implications in terms of scientific advancements and exploration of the universe. It is crucial to establish some ground rules right from the beginning. Laukien stated that it was important to remember that the Galileo Project may not be for everyone. It has a limited scope and limitations.This venture will not entertain any known physics explanations or analyze data from the Galileo Project. The researchers stated that it will not speculate on any prior UAP observations, alleged observations, or informal reports."We may be able to infer the nature of these unidentified objects. Loeb stated that it could be an atmospheric phenomenon or another origin with a mundane explanation. However, he said that they want to find out the truth. We want to remove the fog by transparent and scientific analysis. This is not possible if we rely on data from government sensors. Most of that data is classified.Researchers hope to shed light onto extraterrestrial phenomena through three main avenues of research. They will obtain high-resolution images UAP using multiple detectors to determine their nature, conduct in-depth research on "Oumuamua" interstellar objects and search for potential ETC satellites.The team has secured funds and is ready to get going. Loeb stated that the team meets weekly and is currently choosing the instruments to buy. We expect to see some interesting results over the next year, hopefully."The project currently aims to establish tens of telescopes around the globe. According to Loeb, each telescope system will include approximately two 10-inch (25 cm) telescopes equipped with a camera that can resolve objects of interest. The telescopes will be connected to a computer system to filter out data. Software that analyzes data from Vera Rubin Observatory will be developed by the team. It is expected that it will go online in 2023.Galileo Project has been boldly compared to Galileo Galilei's pioneering discoveries that changed the view of the universe.Galileo Project officials stated that the discovery of scientifically validated evidence of extraterrestrial tech may have the same impact on astronomy as Galileo's pioneering use telescopes for astronomical observation. The project was named after him.Galileo Project is funded through donations and pledges from foundations and individuals. You can find details about the Galileo Project's advisory boards and research team on their website. Follow the project on Twitter and Instagram to keep up-to-date.Full disclosure: Space.com Senior writer Mike Wall moderated on July 26 the announcement of Galileo Project and news conference.Follow Daisy Dobrijevic @DaisyDobrijevic Follow us @Spacedotcom on Twitter and Facebook.
