Scientists propose new way to find alien probes near Earth
A team of researchers just shared a fresh method to hunt for extraterrestrial probes hiding close to our planet.
Their study, published August 24, 2025, suggests using Earth's shadow to block out the glare from satellites and space junk—making it way easier to spot anything unusual.
The mysterious object
Led by Beatriz Villarroel at Stockholm University, the team analyzed over 200,000 images from the Zwicky Transient Facility.
They used an automated system called NEOrion to scan areas in Earth's shadow—where sunlight doesn't mess things up.
Most of what they found were meteors or known objects, but one fast-moving thing couldn't be explained even after lots of checking.
What's next?
This approach helps create a "clean zone" in space observations, cutting out distractions from millions of satellites and debris.
It means scientists can use existing telescopes and data to search more systematically for alien artifacts.
The team is also working on ExoProbe—a network of telescopes that will watch mysterious objects from different angles at the same time for better tracking in our Solar System.