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How did Project Phoenix search for extraterrestrial radio signals?

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artist's conception of Kepler-186f — extraterrestrial intelligence An artist's conception depicts Kepler-186f, the first Earth-sized extrasolar planet found in its star's habitable zone.

Project Phoenix was a privately funded, targeted search for extraterrestrial intelligence that operated from 1995 to 2004. Unlike systematic sky surveys that scan broad areas, Phoenix focused its efforts on approximately 1,000 nearby star systems located within 150 light-years of Earth, most of which were similar in size and brightness to the Sun.12

Because the project required exclusive telescope access to conduct these targeted observations, it utilized several major radio telescopes, including the 305-metre instrument at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. The search was managed by the SETI Institute and aimed to detect potential signals from technologically advanced civilizations by scrutinizing specific stellar targets rather than surveying the entire sky.12