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Today in History: Ohio State's Big Ear Telescope Detects Wow! Signal

8/15/2025

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Summary

Story summary

On August 15, 1977, Ohio State University's Big Ear radio telescope detected a strong narrowband radio signal, later dubbed the Wow! signal. This unusual signal, originating from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, exhibited characteristics suggesting it could be of extraterrestrial origin, marking a significant moment in the search for intelligent life beyond Earth.

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Story summary

On August 15, 1977, Ohio State University's Big Ear radio telescope detected a strong narrowband radio signal, later dubbed the Wow! signal. This unusual signal, originating from the direction of the constellation Sagittarius, exhibited characteristics suggesting it could be of extraterrestrial origin, marking a significant moment in the search for intelligent life beyond Earth.