1 MINUTE AGO: James Webb Telescope Just Detected Artificial Lights On Proxima B!
Scientists Explore Whether City Lights Could Reveal Life Around Proxima Centauri
Astronomers are increasingly considering a provocative possibility: could we one day detect the glow of alien cities on planets beyond our solar system? Recent research suggests that, with the right conditions and the next generation of space telescopes, the answer may be yes—especially in the Proxima Centauri system, our closest stellar neighbor.
Proxima Centauri and its intriguing planet
Proxima Centauri lies just over four light-years from Earth and hosts at least one confirmed rocky planet, Proxima b. Roughly Earth-sized and located in the star’s habitable zone, Proxima b has long been considered one of the most promising nearby worlds in the search for life.
Interest in the system intensified in 2020, when an unusual radio signal known as BLC1 was detected from its direction. Although that signal was later widely regarded as likely interference, it raised a broader question: instead of only listening for radio signals, could astronomers directly look for signs of technology on nearby exoplanets?
From radio signals to visible technosignatures
On Earth, the clearest sign of an advanced civilization is not radio noise but artificial light. City lights on the night side of our planet leak into space and create a distinct glow. Until recently, telescopes lacked the sensitivity to detect such faint illumination on distant worlds.
That may be changing with instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and proposed future observatories. Researchers argue that these telescopes could potentially detect “technosignatures”—observable markers of technology—such as artificial nighttime lighting.
How bright would alien cities need to be?
Studies by researchers including Elisa Tabor and Avi Loeb modeled whether JWST could detect artificial lights on Proxima b. Their results suggest that if artificial illumination on the planet’s night side reached about 5% of the brightness of its day side, JWST could detect it with high confidence. At around 9%, detection would be even more likely.
For comparison, Earth’s artificial night lighting is only about 0.001% of reflected sunlight—far too faint to be seen from another star system. However, Proxima b may be tidally locked, meaning one side permanently faces its star while the other remains in constant darkness. A technological civilization living on the dark side might rely far more heavily on artificial illumination, potentially making its cities much brighter than ours.
The role of red dwarf stars
Proxima Centauri is a red dwarf, much smaller and dimmer than the Sun. This actually helps detection: a planet orbiting a faint star offers better contrast than one orbiting a bright, Sun-like star. According to follow-up studies, red dwarf systems may be the best targets for finding city lights on exoplanets.
Future missions such as LUVOIR (Large UV/Optical/IR Surveyor), proposed for the 2030s, could push this even further. Modeling suggests that LUVOIR-like telescopes might detect city-scale illumination—or even partial urbanization—on planets around dozens of nearby stars.
What would detection mean?
Finding artificial light would not just imply alien life, but technological civilization. It would suggest that intelligent societies can survive long enough to reshape their planets—an encouraging counterpoint to the pessimistic interpretations of the Fermi Paradox.
At the same time, scientists stress caution. Natural phenomena, such as volcanic activity or reflective surfaces, must be ruled out. Artificial lighting has a distinctive spectral signature—similar to Earth’s sodium or LED lighting—but confirming it would require extensive observation.
Looking ahead
For now, there is no confirmed evidence of artificial lights or civilizations around Proxima Centauri. But the idea is no longer pure science fiction. With JWST already operating and more powerful telescopes on the horizon, astronomers may soon be able to test whether our nearest cosmic neighbor is truly dark—or quietly lit.
If city lights are ever detected, it would mark one of the most profound discoveries in human history: proof that we are not alone, and that someone else has learned how to keep the lights on in the cosmic night.
