The laser used operates at 532 nm and is modulated similarly to light in a fiber optic cable – but with a power millions of times greater. The digitized genome is modulated onto the laser beam in uncompressed FASTA data format, with a size of approximately 3.2 GB. The transmission process itself takes about two hours and is visible from a great distance, depending on the current atmospheric conditions. The laser's target is the point of contact with a selected star and its exoplanets. Since all star systems have proper motion, the position at which the laser can strike the system is first calculated using Gaia data (ESA). The signal arrives in anywhere from a few to several hundred years, depending on the target system. (The nearest exoplanet to Earth is Proxima Centauri b, with a travel time of 4.24 years.) Due to the laser's long travel time, its beam spreads out into a cone shape. This results in a significant decrease in power per unit area, but simultaneously allows the light signal to be detected throughout the entire targeted star system. A significant portion of the laser beam continues to travel after the rendezvous – a glimmering whisper of past life through the eternal darkness of space. As proof of successful transmission, each customer receives a time-compressed video recording ("timelapse") documenting the emission of the laser pulse. This video shows how the laser beam tracks the targeted star position. This is necessary to compensate for the Earth's rotation and ensure the targeted coordinates are aligned. The video is freely available and can be used as desired. As proof of successful transmission, each customer receives a time-lapse video documenting the laser pulse's emission.