A researcher has claimed that contacting aliens can be made possible by shooting out a laser light in space.

An MIT researcher James Clark published a study in which he claimed that a laser space beacon detectable up to 20,000 light years away, acting as a ‘porch light’ for extraterrestrial life can help us contact aliens.

Clark hypothesized that if we focus on a one-to two-megawatt laser through 30 to 45-meter telescope and aim it into space, it will create a beacon that would emit enough radiation to be distinctive from the sun’s infrared energy, reported Engadget.

Here’s what aliens might look like, if they exist

If there are aliens out there, they might be able to spot the signal from Earth. Also, the study published in The Astrophysical Journal, states that we could also send a Morse code-style message with the help of the laser by using pulses.

Clark says the system could be built using existing technologies and instruments that could be developed soon. “The kinds of lasers and telescopes that are being built today can produce a detectable signal, so that an astronomer could take one look at our star and immediately see something unusual about its spectrum.”

However, making this laser would raise concerns such as the laser affecting cameras on spacecraft that passed through it. Clark, however, suggested a solution that installing the laser system on the far side of the moon would be the safest.

Also, as per Daily Mail, though the beam wouldn’t be visible to the naked eye, it could still harm a person’s vision if they look directly at it.

“In general, this was a feasibility study. Whether or not this is a good idea, that’s a discussion for future work. This would be a challenging project but not an impossible one,” Clark said.