On August 15, 1977, the Big Ear observatory in Ohio picked up an unusually intense radio signal.
to highlight his amazement.
Since then,the Wow!
The computer printout where astronomer Jerry Ehman scribbled ‘Wow!’ next to the signal detection.Big Ear Radio Observatory
signal, as it came to be known, has puzzled scientists who were unable to pinpoint its source.
However, a new project dedicated to solving the mystery of the signal may have had a breakthrough.
Using archived data from the former Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, the Arecibo Wow!
signal earlier this year.
I have to confess, the Wow!
signal for me, and for many astronomers, was something like a fluke, he told Gizmodo.
So I never really paid attention to it.
In May, he stumbled upon a video explaining the Wow!
signal, and it got him hooked.
I thought, well that would be something amazing to find in our data, Mendez said.
This obviously sparked alien rumors, with some believing the transmission was sent by an extraterrestrial civilization.
They found similar narrowband signals near the hydrogen line, though less intense than the original Wow!
Mendez and his team believe that, for the Wow!
Thats rare, Mendez said.
The astrobiologist is determined to learn more about his newfound obsession.
I learned so much about the Wow!
signal in the last few months compared to my whole life, he said.
More:Mysterious Wow!
Signal Came from Comets, Not Aliens, Claims Scientists
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