The Wow! Signal
A striking narrowband radio signal detected in 1977 remains famous in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.
What do we actually know?
The Big Ear radio telescope recorded a brief, strong signal. Astronomer Jerry Ehman marked the printout with 'Wow!' The signal was not reliably detected again.
What's debated or speculative?
Some view it as a possible extraterrestrial transmission; proposed natural and human-made explanations have also been discussed. Its origin is not established.
Follow a different thread
Radio astronomy → signal processing → the search for life.
Ask yourself: Why does a single unexplained signal not amount to proof of its source?
Choose your next rabbit hole
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Open Spark to ask follow-up questions. AI-generated answers can be wrong, so verify important claims using primary records and reputable research.
📖 Explore in Spark🐇 All mysteriesEditorial introduction · This is a starting point for investigation, not an exhaustive source review. Unresolved does not mean supernatural or extraterrestrial.