Astronomers estimate that the nearest advanced civilization might be 33,000 light years away and likely far older than ours. Credit: Shutterstock According to new research presented at the EPSC-DPS2025 Joint Meeting in Helsinki, the nearest technological civilization in the Milky Way could be roughly 33,000 light years away. For such a civilization to exist at the same time as humanity, it would need to have lasted for at least 280,000 years -- and potentially millions of years. These findings