THERE were pleas of desperation, hopes from the heart, and invitations to visit, if anyone is passing this way.

A girl from Horsham, Victoria, asked about alien abductions. ''Please take my brothers!'' she begged. ''Take your pick.'' A Melbourne man threw open an offer for a barbecue. He added, of course, that it would be ''BYO meat and beer''.

At noon yesterday 25,880 messages from the people of this world were beamed to another via NASA's Tidbinbilla space tracking station, outside Canberra.

Some 20 years from now they should reach Gliese 581 d.

Discovered in 2007, it was the first planet found circling in the ''Goldilocks'' or ''habitable zone'' around another star, where it is neither too hot, nor too cold for life as we know it.

Submitted from people in 199 countries, the messages were collected and beamed into space to mark National Science Week.

Castle Cove Public School's class 4M made a joint request to any inhabitants of the planet: ''If you are out there please respond. We want to be friends. We are all different and we can't wait to meet you.'' A Dapto resident sought a date: ''Cute single Earthling seeking tall, dark and handsome Gliesian … I'm happy to meet in a nice park or field.''

Petra Evans, of Manly, wrote: ''I am from Australia, planet Earth, where the water is warm, the sun shines, and the people are friendly and welcoming.''

One Melbourne man asked: ''Have you got my missing socks?'' If the Gliesians do have them, he will have to wait until at least 2049 for an answer.