About Wow! signal
A strong radio signal recorded in 1977 that looked like what SETI was searching for, and was never heard again.
- Also known as
- Wow signal
- Date
- 15 August 1977
- Telescope
- Big Ear, Ohio State University
- Frequency
- About 1420 MHz (hydrogen line)
- Length
- 72 seconds
The full story, section by section
The story of Wow! signal in 3 parts. Tap any part to read it in full.
-
What was recordedBig Ear was a fixed telescope that let Earth's rotation sweep the sky across its view, so any point in the sky stayed in view for about 72 seconds.Read this part โ Illustration drawn for this site โ not a photograph.
-
Searches for a repeatEhman and others pointed telescopes at the same patch of sky many times over the following decades, including with the Very Large Array in New Mexico.Read this part โ Illustration drawn for this site โ not a photograph.
-
Proposed natural explanationsIn 2017 one researcher suggested a passing comet; other astronomers rejected the idea.Read this part โ Illustration drawn for this site โ not a photograph.
Programs, organizations & documents
The official programs, groups and papers involved:
๐ธ UFO sightings about Wow! signal
Sightings that mention Wow! signal
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More in the encyclopedia
Other articles that link to or mention Wow! signal:
- สปOumuamuaThe first object known to have come from outside the Solar System, found in 2017 โ and briefly suggested to be an alien probe.
- 3I/ATLASThe third known interstellar object, a comet found in July 2025 that sparked claims of alien technology.
- Project Pandora and the Moscow SignalFrom 1953 to 1976, the Soviet Union beamed low-level microwave radiation at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, a phenomenon known as the Moscow Signal.
- UAP hearingsPublic hearings in the U.S. Congress on UFOs and UAP, from 1966 to the whistleblower hearings of 2023โ2025.
Questions & answers
What is Wow! signal?
Wow! signal: A strong radio signal recorded in 1977 that looked like what SETI was searching for, and was never heard again. Read: Wow! signal โ
What else is Wow! signal called?
Wow! signal is also known as Wow signal.
What is SETI?
SETI: The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence: listening for signals from civilisations on other worlds. Read: SETI โ
๐ญ More guides: Science & the search for life
SETISETI explained: how scientists listen for alien signals, from Frank Drakeโs Project Ozma โฆFermi paradoxThe Fermi paradox explained: if the galaxy is old and full of planets, why have we found โฆDrake equationThe Drake equation explained: Frank Drakeโs 1961 formula for estimating how many civilisaโฆสปOumuamuaสปOumuamua explained: the first object known to come from another star system, found in 20โฆ3I/ATLAS3I/ATLAS explained: the third interstellar object, discovered in July 2025 โ its path thrโฆ
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