Of the 20,000 observations his telescope has made, Horowitz says, no decidedly conclusive observations have been reached.

Still, he says that he and Howard are excited about the coming years.

“We like trying new and different things,” he says.

Other astronomers, such as Dr. Joseph Lazio of the Naval Research Laboratory, are more skeptical of the project’s short-term success, but affirm the significance of the study.

“Will we have success in the near future? Define ‘near,’” he says. “In the next 100 years? Many astronomers are hoping that in the next 20 years, we’ll be finding Earth-like planets.”

Tarter also says she foresees some difficulties with Horowitz’s All-Sky project, namely the unpredictable New England weather.

“Can you do something about the weather in Massachusetts?” she asks jokingly. “You need a lot of clear nights for the survey, and it’s going to take a lot of time to get 100 clear nights.”

Still, Tarter says she supports Horowitz’s general project.

“All this UFO, alien abduction garbage attached to SETI [is] what makes money, what people find sexy,” she says. “But the real SETI is a valid scientific exploration.”

She reminds any naysayers of the project’s monumental significance.

“We have this opportunity now to answer the age old question: are we alone? I feel very privileged to do something which might have some impact on society,” she says.

Horowitz says it is that very possibility that motivates him to keep searching the sky each night.

“My long view is, it’s not a question of ‘if,’ it’s a question of ‘when,’” he says. “We’re gonna contact them someday.”

—Staff writer Rebecca M. Milzoff can be reached at milzoff@fas.harvard.edu.