SETI Institute

06/03/2026

A Skeptical Guide to UFO Cases and Claims

With Steven Spielberg’s new blockbuster film "Disclosure Day" about to debut, scientists and educators will face a new barrage of student and public questions about UFOs (or, as they have been rebranded, UAPs).

Andrew Fraknoi (The AstroProf) has put together an updated guide to resources explaining what skeptics have found about UFO cases and claims. These include what really happened at Roswell, New Mexico, and analyses of the recent spate of military images, videos, and Congressional testimony. Most of the resources cited are easily and freely available on the Web. The free guide can be found at: http://bit.ly/ufoskeptic (PDF)

06/03/2026

Catch SkyMapper CEO and SETI Institute astronomer Franck Marchis at Space Tech Expo USA this Thursday at 2:30 PM.

As space becomes increasingly connected through AI, observation networks, and data infrastructure, the conversation is expanding far beyond launches and satellites.

If you're attending, don't miss the discussion.

06/03/2026

Sad news today indeed.

Ad astra, MAVEN. Thank you for all the science.

06/03/2026

A visitor from another star system just gave scientists a rare opportunity.

Using the Allen Telescope Array at Hat Creek Radio Observatory, SETI Institute researchers searched interstellar object 3I/ATLAS for radio signals that could indicate extraterrestrial technology.

The result? No technosignatures detected.

But that's still exciting science. The team analyzed nearly 74 million signals and demonstrated how quickly modern SETI tools can respond to newly discovered interstellar objects.

As more visitors from other star systems are discovered, each one gives us another chance to explore the universe—and ask one of humanity's biggest questions: Are we alone?

Read more: https://www.seti.org/news/seti-institute-looks-for-signs-of-technology-in-interstellar-visitor-3iatlas/

06/03/2026

: Batagaika Crater

This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image features the Batagaika Crater in Siberia. This is the biggest permafrost crater in the world, caused by melting permafrost and also known as a ‘mega-slump’.

From above, the collapsed terrain resembles a tadpole or a stingray, with near-symmetrical ‘fins’ and a ‘tail’ pointing northeast. The crater – seen in the lower-right-hand side of this image – is roughly 100 m deep and 1 km long but is growing at a rate of around 30 m a year. According to scientists, this rapid expansion began a few decades ago and is the result of deforestation and warmer temperatures. These conditions cause the ice in the crater to melt, then evaporate or drain away, leaving residual sediments that subside.

Credit: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2025), processed by ESA

06/02/2026

Big Picture Science Radio Show: Outside of Our Minds

Since humans first chiseled marks into stone, we have externalized our thoughts and ideas. Our tools may have evolved—now we clack away at computer keyboards—but written communication remains a bedrock of modern society. Now that the pace of information creation is exponentially increasing with the advent of artificial intelligence, many are asking what the next frontier of human communication may look like. We look at how we got here, where the latest tools are headed—including brain-machine interface—and how our brains and culture may be altered in the process.

Listen here: https://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/outside-of-our-minds

06/02/2026

Big ideas start with support.

Through the SETI Institute's STRIDE program, we've awarded $1 million to fund 10 innovative projects spanning science, technology development, education, and public engagement.

From exploring habitability on distant worlds and searching for signs of life on Venus to studying whale communication and advancing AI-enabled research, these projects push the boundaries of discovery.

We're proud to support the researchers, educators, and innovators helping us better understand life, intelligence, and our place in the universe.

Learn more: https://www.seti.org/news/seti-institute-awards-1-million-in-stride-grants/

06/02/2026

: Bay of Rainbows

Sinus Iridum, or the “Bay of Rainbows,” is a striking lava-flooded plain along the Moon’s Mare Imbrium. Framed by the curved Montes Jura mountain range—the remains of an ancient impact crater—it is considered one of the Moon’s most beautiful and recognizable features.

When sunlight strikes the region just right around 10–11 days after new moon, the illuminated Montes Jura can appear as a bright arc at the lunar terminator—an effect nicknamed the “Golden Handle.”

Credit: Godfather_Astro (Threads/TikTok)

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

: More Mars Flyby

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft completed its close approach of Mars on May 15, coming within 2,864 miles (4,609 kilometers) of the planet’s surface. During the flyby, it took this image and others. This representative color image, captured by Psyche’s multispectral imager instrument, features the double-ring crater Huygens and the surrounding heavily cratered southern highlands.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU