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Extraterrestrial

In search of the 'Wow!' signal

By T.K. Randall
February 19, 2012 · Comment icon 28 comments

Image Credit: SETI
A mysterious signal picked up by SETI in 1977 has remained one of the most tantalising ever discoveries.
Robert Gray and others like him have spent many years attempting to duplicate the notorious signal. Picked up by a radio telescope in Delaware, it lasted only 72 seconds and intrigued scientist Jerry Ehman so much that he famously wrote 'Wow!' in red ink on the readout. But where exactly did the signal come from and could it have really come from an alien intelligence ?
Late one night in the summer of 1977, a large radio telescope outside Delaware, Ohio intercepted a radio signal that seemed for a brief time like it might change the course of human history.


Source: The Atlantic | Comments (28)




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Comment icon #19 Posted by St.Anger 12 years ago
I need one of those SETI satellites.
Comment icon #20 Posted by 27vet 12 years ago
I need one of those SETI satellites. Sign up for seti@home.
Comment icon #21 Posted by 3amfright 12 years ago
I agree with the general consensus that we have no knowledge of why or who or even what sent the signal but I agree with the researcher. Keeping a line in the water so to speak is the only wise decision. Even if it never proves the signal's source, the search for it will help us understand a lot more about what we could or should do in concern towards reaching out to other civilizations. Eventually our previous efforts will not be enough & in searching for the WOW signal we may find another route of reaching out we haven't thought of yet.
Comment icon #22 Posted by bison 12 years ago
The wow signal was found in the constellation Sagittarius, towards the center of our galaxy. It is above the horizon in some part of the world at any time. Several Earth-based radio observatories at appropriate locations could, together, keep the area under constant scrutiny. They could be used for other radio astronomy work when Sagittarius was not visible to them. The wow signal was very strong by radio astronomy standards. The 'dishes' wouldn't have to be especially large to receive it, should it ever be repeated.
Comment icon #23 Posted by Spectre1979 12 years ago
I always found this to be interesting, mainly because we haven't found it again or another one like it. It would make sense to monitor that area where it was found for a long time.
Comment icon #24 Posted by psyche101 12 years ago
Well not only that but to my knowledge no-ones ever shown anything was there to 'reflect' a signal. Nor has any natural source ever been found in that direction which could account for it, or any natural source anywhere else that is even similar. But this is all above my pay-grade so I could be wrong but I've not ever read anything to suggest otherwise. So what was it? Damn shame there has not been a repeat, as you say, just what was it? Some type of cosmological entity fooling us did the first detected pulsars, or indeed, first contact?
Comment icon #25 Posted by psyche101 12 years ago
I dont find implausible, that there may be other life forms who benefit from a technology similar to ours. What I find implausible is that they direct a signal to us attempting to make a contankt (not impossible). But we know that the signal came from that direction, but we dont know if it originated in that region or it was just passing by that region. So the signal may be whery old, and used for a different purpose than contacting us. I would agree, I do not think it was a deliberate attempt, or surely we would have seen more by now. But it may have been a demonstration of technology. I wond... [More]
Comment icon #26 Posted by Spectre1979 12 years ago
Maybe it was the final signal and we just happened to catch it. Far fetched I know, but it is still a possibility!
Comment icon #27 Posted by Irelandalucia 12 years ago
Do we broadcast any signal for E.T.I. to find us and if so where can I find more3 info? Thanks in advance
Comment icon #28 Posted by bison 12 years ago
Do we broadcast any signal for E.T.I. to find us and if so where can I find more3 info? Thanks in advance Here is a good introduction to the subject, with examples of what has been done, and what might be done, in future. link -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_SETI


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