Messages from Earth sent to distant planet by Bebo

The 501 notes, pictures and drawings were chosen by members of Bebo, the youth-orientated social networking site. A digital time capsule was beamed in a high-powered radio wave in the direction of Gliese 581c, an "Earth-like" planet 20.5 light years away, from Ukraine's National Space Agency on Thursday morning. The message flew past Mars within four minutes of being broadcast from the gigantic RT-70 radio telescope, but won't reach its destination until 2029. It includes images of landmarks such as the London Eye and Edinburgh Castle, along with pictures of famous faces including Hillary Clinton and television presenters Richard and Judy. There are also hundreds of notes written by Bebo members about their lives, ambitions and views of Earth. The messages included in the digital capsule were selected by an online vote. One... [read full story]