this post was submitted on 09 Mar 2026
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Turbulent plasma near distant stars could blur ultra-narrow signals before they leave their home star systems, making them difficult to detect.
New Insight: Stellar “space weather” may blur ultra-narrow radio signals from extraterrestrial civilizations before they leave their home star systems
The Challenge: SETI searches typically look for extremely sharp frequency spikes. If a signal is broadened by plasma turbulence near its source, it may fall below traditional detection thresholds.
What Causes It: Density fluctuations in stellar winds and eruptions such as coronal mass ejections can distort radio waves from the transmitting planet.