The ‘Wow!’ Signal: 40 Years Ago, Earth Received a Mysterious Message

The quest to discover life beyond Earth has driven humans to explore various methods of communicating with extraterrestrials. Despite our efforts, we have yet to achieve concrete success. However, in August 1977, Ohio State University’s Big Ear Radio Telescope detected a powerful radio signal while searching for extraterrestrial intelligence. The signal, which lasted just 72 seconds, was so remarkable that astronomer Jerry Ehman, who discovered it days later, wrote “Wow!” on the printout, giving it its famous name.

This intriguing signal was received from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, leading many to believe it could indeed be a radio message from an alien civilization.