The 1977 "Wow!" signal still has no explanation
On August 15, 1977, Ohio State University’s Big Ear radio telescope detected an unusual radio signal that came to be known as “Wow!” It remains unexplained to this day, according to Space.com.
Astronomer Jerry Ehman was scanning a section of the sky in the constellation Sagittarius with the telescope when the instrument detected a 72-second radio burst. Its intensity was too high to be explained by background noise.
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Researchers also concluded that this signal most likely did not originate on Earth. However, astronomers have been unable to detect any other similar signals despite further searches.
Space.com calls “Wow!” a landmark observation in the search for life beyond Earth. The signal was detected nearly two decades before the first confirmation of the existence of exoplanets. To date, scientists have discovered more than 6,000 planets outside the Solar System and are using modern technology to investigate whether some of them might harbor signs of life.
