ET visits Mars first: what would it need to monitor for the best chance of finding either rover?

Question

I'm guessing the chances of them finding our probes might be astronomical. But if there are objective reasons for finding the areas of "scientific interest" that we've chosen to explore, that would bring them closer to the same general region of the planet. What sorts of observations would they need to make to uncover our by-then ancient probes? Would simple metal detection work? Density scans of the dunes that show something the density of hardened rubber (tires)? What would be the easiest way for them to detect such a thing?

I guess a secondary question might be that if there -is- a practical answer, might that be something -we- would want to consider watching for, so long as it doesn't take too much time, energy or effort away from more likely studies?

Answer 1

The odds of finding our rovers, on Mars or anywhere else, would be very low. If we are assuming that there is still intelligent life on earth, the most obvious evidence of it would be our radio noise. The earth is brighter than the sun in portions of the radio spectrum! Little cool rocky worlds can't do that. It takes technology. And this could probably be detected from hundreds of AU away...however far they could resolve the earth radio source and the sun.

As for visual evidence on earth, sorry, but the Great Wall is far down the list of visible things. Most major highways can be seen from ten times farther up. From what I have found, the most visible daytime evidence of intelligence here is the systematic destruction of the Amazon rain forest. Using Google earth, you can see cross-hatched areas the size of South Carolina, from 1400 miles up. If seen from the night side, our metrolopitan areas make light visible from thousands of miles away, with moderately decent equipment.

Answer 2

>ET visits Mars first: what would it need to monitor for the best chance of finding either rover?

I'd say radio signals.

>I'm guessing the chances of them finding our probes might be astronomical.

Hardly. In fact, it's almost certain that they would find the rovers, and relatively quickly. The rovers send radio signals out into space in order to have them relayed back to Earth, and since Mars would have essentially no source of radio signals save from the rovers, the aliens would easily be able to home in on them and find them very quickly.

Alternatively, if their computers are sufficiently advanced, their programs might simply scan images of the entire martian surface and pick the rovers out of the background terrain.

>What sorts of observations would they need to make to uncover our by-then ancient probes?

Wait, so you're talking about them finding the rovers in the far future? You could have said so a little earlier...

If the rovers are left sitting there for a sufficiently long time, they will not only break down and cease to emit radio signals, they will probably also end up covered by the shifting sand. In that case, it would be rather difficult to find them. The best way would probably be to scan the upper layers of soil for magnetic field anomalies, and after investigating each 'blip' in turn, they might eventually find the remains of one of our probes.

>I guess a secondary question might be that if there -is- a practical answer, might that be something -we- would want to consider watching for, so long as it doesn't take too much time, energy or effort away from more likely studies?

Well, it's reasonable to assume that if aliens can fly all the way here from other stars, they will have much more sensitive equipment than we currently do, and will therefore have an easier time searching for...well, pretty much anything. That said, there have been many proposals over the years to keep an eye out for small artificial objects anywhere in the Solar System. Right now it would be very difficult to find a small probe on the surface of Mars, but a better place to look would be in orbits around the Sun or around planets, where an alien probe might have accidentally been trapped in a stable orbit, or even deliberately placed there waiting to receive an artificial signal. So far we haven't found anything of this sort, but as we record more and more small objects in the Solar System, it's unlikely that a dead (or sleeping) alien probe would evade our detection forever.

Answer 3

Firstly, we don't know did the ET's visit Mars earlier, before us. First human expedition will fly toward the Mars in 2014. and they will there restore some "base-station" with micro-climatic conditions similary as here on the Earth. In this case ET's will find alot of evidences about ours civilisation. But on your question better answer is mission of the Voyagers (are you forget 'em?) because every Voyager carry on alot of information about our civilisation. Now they are out of the Solar System in the area of "heliopause" and they continue its wandering through the deep Space. I'm read alot about this on emienco and they sometime publish some interesting articles connected with Space. Veradisca & Best Regards, Neven.

Answer 4

If you are talking about the distant future then if per say there was another life form to visit mars they would more than likely just happen onto the rovers,, This is all hypathetical of course and I dont see it very likely,,

Answer 5

Hi. Any beings looking for evidence for life or technology would probably look for macro objects (think Great Wall of China) rather than look for evidence of nano-machines. (Even if they are the size of the Mars probes). My opinion.