Science Channel to Present SPACE'S DEEPEST SECRETS: STRANGE SIGNALS FROM ALIEN WORLDS, Today

For centuries we've looked up at the night sky and wondered, ARE WE ALONE? We've sent probes to the farthest reaches of the Solar System and broadcast messages out into the depths of space, but in all that time we've heard nothing back, until now. In the last few years a mysterious signal from space has shaken astronomy to its core. A special episode of SPACE'S DEEPEST SECRETS, tells the story of a genuine scientific mystery, the recent discovery, confirmation, and on-going attempts to understand the origin of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs), enigmatic pulses from deep space that have so-far defied explanation. Theories of their origin range from colliding stars, to alien beacons created by an advanced civilization. SPACE'S DEEPEST SECRETS: STRANGE SIGNALS FROM ALIEN WORLDS premieres Tuesday, June 6 at 9pm ET/PT on Science Channel.

Among THE EXPERTS interviewed in the special is Tabetha Boyajian, an astronomer from Louisiana State University, who in 2015 detected a distant star using data collected from the Kepler Telescope. The star, which has become known as Tabby's Star, was observed to undergo unusual changes in brightness. One of the theories associated with Tabby's Star is that its light fluctuations are large megastructures created by aliens that are orbiting the star.

STRANGE SIGNALS FROM ALIEN WORLDS also speaks with Dr. Frank Drake, one of THE PIONEERS in the scientific search for extra-terrestrial intelligence, and the founder of the SETI Institute. Also heard from is West Virginia University astronomer Duncan Lorimer, who in 2007, accidentally found the first FRB that was recorded, now known as the Lorimer Burst, while analyzing data from the Parkes radio telescope in Australia.

FRBs are just one of a long line of mysterious signals that have reached the Earth. In 1967, Cambridge University Professor Jocelyn Bell Burnell, who discovered the first radio pulsars, noticed one that pulsed with great regularity. In the program, she describes how she even marked the signal LGM1 - LGM standing for Little Green Men. It was later found to be a rapidly rotating neutron star.

One reason we might expect intelligent aliens to make contact is because we've been sending our own messages in hopes of contacting them. Earthlings have sent the sounds of rain, a mother's kiss, sheep herding, a heartbeat, JS Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No.2, a ship's horn, the bark of a 'tame dog' and 25,800 text messages from Australians out into the cosmos. At this very moment, the Beatles' song "Across the Universe" is traveling across the Universe at 186,000 miles a second on its way to the North Star Polaris, 431 light years away.

"I believe we're closer now to potentially detecting alien life than we've ever been," said Wyatt Channell, Executive Producer, Science Channel. "And while incontrovertible proof remains elusive, research from brilliant astronomers all over the world continues to provide us with new clues that suggest we probably inhabit a universe teeming with life."

SPACE'S DEEPEST SECRETS: STRANGE SIGNALS FROM ALIEN WORLDS is produced by BBC for Science Channel. It is produced and directed by Stephen Cooter. Executive producer for Science Channel is Wyatt Channell.

About Science Channel Science Channel, a multi-media business unit of Discovery Communications, is the home of all things Science around the clock, including series such as THROUGH THE WORMHOLE WITH MORGAN FREEMAN, OUTRAGEOUS ACTS OF SCIENCE, WHAT ON EARTH?, HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS, UNEARTHED, and HOW IT'S MADE. Science Channel is the premiere TV, digital and social community for those with a passion for science, space, technology, archeology, and engineering, providing immersive, engaging, high-quality entertainment across all Science Channel assets including: Science Channel television network, available in more than 72 million homes in the U.S; complimentary Video On Demand offering; SCI Go app allowing viewers to catch up on full episodes of their favorite shows anytime; deep video, interactive storytelling and virtual reality at www.sciencechannel.com; and conversations on Science Channel's popular social platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat via @ScienceChannel.

About Discovery Communications: Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) satisfies CURIOSITY and captivates superfans around the globe with a portfolio of premium nonfiction, lifestyle, sports and kids content brands including Discovery Channel, TLC, Investigation Discovery, Animal Planet, Science and Turbo/Velocity, as well as OWN: OPRAH WINFREY NETWORK in the U.S., Discovery Kids in Latin America, and Eurosport, the leading provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe. Available in more than 220 countries and territories, Discovery's programming reaches 3 billion cumulative viewers, who together consume 54 billion hours of Discovery content each year. Discovery's offering extends beyond traditional TV to all screens, including TV Everywhere products such as the GO portfolio and Discovery Kids Play; over-the-top streaming services such as Eurosport Player; digital-first and social video from Group Nine Media; and virtual reality storytelling through Discovery VR. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com

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