The
Mysterious "Wow!" Signal from Deep Space
Date: August 15,
1977
Key Characters:
Astronomer Jerry R. Ehman, the Big Ear radio telescope.
Historical
Reference: The original printout of the signal from the Big Ear archives at
Ohio State University.
The Story: While
scanning the skies for potential extraterrestrial signals, astronomer Jerry
Ehman detected something incredible. The Big Ear radio telescope at Ohio State
University picked up a powerful, narrow-band radio signal that lasted for 72
seconds, seemingly originating from the constellation Sagittarius. The signal
was 20 times stronger than the background radiation and perfectly matched the
expected signature of an interstellar broadcast. It was so startlingly perfect
that Ehman circled the data on the computer printout and wrote "Wow!"
in the margin. The signal never appeared again. Despite numerous attempts to
find it, its source remains a complete mystery. It is considered by many to be
the strongest candidate for an alien radio signal ever detected, a brief,
tantalizing whisper from the cosmos that has never been explained
Reviewed by Sagar B
on
June 11, 2025
Rating:
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