Is Anybody Out There?
In August 1977, the Big Ear Radio-telescope in Ohio received a strange signal from the Sagittarius constellation while searching for intelligent extraterrestrial life. It had a duration of 72 seconds and an intensity 30 times higher than usual. Named the WOW signal (as an engineer wrote "WOW" on the data as it came in!), it is still considered one of the best examples of having been sent by intelligent extraterrestrial life.
In August 1977, the Big Ear Radio-telescope in Ohio received a strange signal from the Sagittarius constellation while searching for intelligent extraterrestrial life. It had a duration of 72 seconds and an intensity 30 times higher than usual. Named the WOW signal (as an engineer wrote "WOW" on the data as it came in!), it is still considered one of the best examples of having been sent by intelligent extraterrestrial life.
Related Titles
Related Articles
View All
Something in the Search for Extraterrestrial Life Isn't Adding Up
As long as humankind has looked up at the sky, we’ve questioned whether there are others out there like us. Mathematics enabled us to get into space, but statistics point to a…
Are We Alone in the Universe? Scientists Resoundingly Say . . . Maybe
Are we alone in the Universe? Many people wonder if we’ll ever encounter an intelligence from beyond our planet. Space science organizations are searching our galaxy to uncover…
Flying Saucers and Extraterrestrial Visitors? A Brief History of UFOs
The Pentagon just confirmed three UFO sightings, but humans have been reporting UFOs for a long time. From Roswell and beyond, here’s a glimpse into the world of the flying…
Hawking to Humanity: We Must Venture Into Space, Or Else!
No less a thinker than the late Stephen Hawking sought to warn us that our time is running out on planet Earth. Humankind’s continued existence requires us to prepare for mass…
Journeys To Jupiter - 2001: A Space Odyssey Turns 50
Fifty years ago, Stanley Kubrick released his film 2001: A Space Odyssey, a classic tale of an epic journey to Jupiter. Let’s take a look back at Kubrick’s masterpiece. From…
7 Threats Mars Colonizers Are Sure to Face in Outer Space
Humans appear to be on the verge of setting out in large numbers into space on commercial flights. Space visionaries are promoting these journeys as essential next steps for the…
Buy Me to the Moon: The Money and Politics of Owning Outer Space
Who owns the Moon? Technically no one – but several private companies and individuals have had other ideas. As interest in the Moon’s profit potential grows, important questions…
Space Travel to the Moon, Mars, and Beyond: Often Romanticized, Seldom Understood
As we look ahead to NASA’s return to the Moon, it’s a good time to consider how far we’ve come. An earlier generation of rocket scientists made possible humankind's first giant…