The Wow Signal: The Strongest Candidate for Extraterrestrial Radio Contact

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On August 15, 1977, astronomer Jerry Ehman detected an unusually powerful narrowband radio signal while working on the SETI project at Ohio State University's Big Ear telescope. The signal lasted approximately 72 seconds and displayed characteristics consistent with what scientists would expect from an extraterrestrial transmission. Ehman famously circled the data printout and wrote 'Wow!' in the margin, giving the signal its enduring name. Despite numerous follow-up observations over the decades, the signal has never been detected again, leaving its origin unexplained. It remains one of the most compelling and mysterious events in the history of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

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ProgrammingDEV Community ·

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