Saudi Observatory Adds Laser SETI Detectors
Saudi Arabia has installed two LaserSETI detectors at AlUla Manara, making the site the fifth LaserSETI location and the first in Asia. The optical network scans the sky for laser pulses that could indicate extraterrestrial technology.
The AlUla Manara installation places two optical units on a remote plateau roughly 74 km north of AlUla and about 380 km from Medina. The site is a Dark Sky Park and UNESCO World Heritage area, with long-term plans for a 4-meter telescope and two 2-meter instruments.
Each unit uses commercially available cameras and lenses covering about 75 degrees of sky, plus a grating that separates broad starlight spectra from narrow laser-like wavelengths. Real-time computing reduces storage needs and enables alerts; most hardware is off-the-shelf or 3-D printed, with only the grating and steel housing customized.
The new detectors could broaden public interest in astronomy in Saudi Arabia and give researchers and students a nearby focus for science outreach. By joining a global network, the site may strengthen international scientific collaboration and data-sharing. Its real-time alert capability could also help observatories respond quickly to transient sky events, though any extraterrestrial-signal claim would require independent confirmation.