Not targeted in any way. Planets, comets, stars, and galaxies all generate or reflect electromagnetic energy at many different wavelengths. Some of the energy they emit is in the form of very large wavelengths called radio waves.
A radio wave isn't a beam of energy ; more like dropping a rock in a pond.
Unfortunately, "popular science" articles are written to a low intellectual standard, demanding something visual, and they have only cartoons to carry the burden. It would be better to think of it as a kind of schematic of what happened. The real data is probably a blip on a strip of graph paper (old school). Not very inspiring.
Better question is, what are the odds of targeted radio waves travelling 8 billion light years and hitting Earth?
Not targeted in any way. Planets, comets, stars, and galaxies all generate or reflect electromagnetic energy at many different wavelengths. Some of the energy they emit is in the form of very large wavelengths called radio waves.
A radio wave isn't a beam of energy ; more like dropping a rock in a pond.
I agree totally, but the above image implies otherwise.
And I will totally agree to that :D
Unfortunately, "popular science" articles are written to a low intellectual standard, demanding something visual, and they have only cartoons to carry the burden. It would be better to think of it as a kind of schematic of what happened. The real data is probably a blip on a strip of graph paper (old school). Not very inspiring.