EASTLAKE, Ohio — Michael Lee Hill is an Eastlake Ohio Native who is hoping his music will play a role in letting the universe know mankind is here on Earth.
Hill and a team, utilizing a powerful radio transmitter and antenna array located in Arizona, will send signals to Oumuamua, a narrow, unusually shaped asteroid or comet that was first detected in 2017 by astronomers in Hawaii. The object, which has never been photographed is now on its way to Neptune and the outreaches of our solar system.
He is hoping the transmission, which will begin on Christmas Eve and continue to Dec. 26 will produce a response from the object that will get the attention of the mainstream scientific community.
“You know I think it’s very important I think to transmit back to this object," Hill said. “They’re actually pointing the array and the antenna in the direction of Oumuamua.”
“Truly if we’re not alone, and what the team members believe is that when Oumuamua came through our solar system, it might have been waiting for the proper response. The proper transmission that had the right key. I think it’s super important because they need to know that we’re ready for contact.”
Cleveland State University Research Astronomer Jay Reynolds told News 5 the effort the reach out to Oumuamua and expect a response is a real long shot at best.
"We have never photographed this object, we are basing it on the evidence," Reynolds said. "This object is very reflective and also has this little thrust, so it’s accelerating out.”
"But there’s no evidence that this is anything but an asteroid or comet. So to what gain, because there is no evidence to suggest that there is anything there to receive a signal, or to respond to a signal.”
“You and I can send out a signal tonight and get a response, but it’s not confirmed until some else does the exact same thing and gets a similar response. So until then, it’s all speculation. In order for all science to be accepted, it must go through a rigorous investigation, a rigorous confirmation process."
“But it’s people like me that say they may be wasting their time, when in fact they might not be. So give it a look, that would be very exciting, I would be very excited. So go ahead, do it, I’m all for it."
Hill is also working with Richard C. Hoagland, who became known for his commentary with network news anchor Walter Cronkite during the Apollo launches.
“Just like we’re trying to get Oumuamua's attention, if we can get the scientific establishment’s attention, then we will have succeeded,” Hoagland said.
David Sereda is also part of the team, acting as message adviser, and helped to create the musical and mathematical message to be sent to Oumuamua.
“It’s so important to find out not only that we’re not alone in the universe, but how to communicate with someone else out there in the universe," Sereda said. “It’s going to have to be mathematical and or musical. That’s where art meets science, music is a form of communication, and what establishes music are mathematical harmonies.”
The message to Oumuamua will feature Hill's original song Morning Star.
“So us giving out an olive branch is very important, so they understand, look, I think that they can handle this and they’re not going to freak out," Hill said. “The act of us trying to communicate with them is very, very important for all of us.”
