Short answer
The Wow! Signal was a strong narrowband radio burst recorded on 15 August 1977 by Ohio State University’s Big Ear telescope during a SETI survey. Volunteer Jerry Ehman circled the printout anomaly and wrote “Wow!” It has not been conclusively re-detected; mainstream views treat it as an intriguing unexplained signal, not confirmed alien contact.
What happened
Type: Unexplained radio transient / SETI candidate. Date: 15 August 1977. Location: Big Ear, Delaware, Ohio; apparent sky direction toward Sagittarius.
Big Ear’s survey recorded a narrowband intensity spike lasting through a ~72-second beam transit pattern. Ehman’s annotation made the printout iconic. Later searches did not securely recover the same signal.
Evidence and mainstream view
Evidence level: B. Mainstream consensus: real historical detection; not verified ET communication; origin still open.
| Claim | Mainstream view |
|---|---|
| Proven alien message | One unreproduced candidate ≠ confirmation |
| Decoded alien language covered up | Public record is intensity codes, not a text |
| Definitely a comet | Hypotheses proposed and disputed |
| Pure myth - nothing recorded | Big Ear printout event is documented |
Timeline
- 1977-08-15 — Big Ear records the signal.
- 1977 — Ehman annotates the printout “Wow!”
- 1977–1990s — Follow-ups fail to re-detect a match.
- 2010s–2020s — Re-analyses and mundane-candidate debates continue.
Explanations
Mainstream: Unidentified signal; scientifically interesting, unconfirmed.
Alternative: Deliberate extraterrestrial transmission.
Disputed: Specific mundane source proposals (comets, interference, etc.).
Case accounts
Attributed cards for the Big Ear/Ehman detection and failed re-detections are rendered above from frontmatter with source links.
Related phenomena
- ʻOumuamua - modern cosmic anomaly with ET speculation
- Phoenix Lights - famous single-night public anomaly
- Project Blue Book - historical official UFO investigation
- Cicada 3301 - mystery brand with incomplete “who/why”
- Cross-category: Black Knight Satellite
FAQ
What was the Wow! Signal? A strong narrowband radio detection recorded by Ohio State’s Big Ear telescope on 15 August 1977 during a SETI survey.
Did it prove aliens exist? No. It remains an unexplained candidate without confirmed re-detection or decoded message.
Why is it called Wow!? Jerry Ehman wrote “Wow!” beside the printout anomaly.
Was it a sound people heard? No. It is a radio intensity record - popular pages sometimes sonify it for illustration.
Could it have been a comet or satellite? Mundane hypotheses exist and are debated; none has universal consensus closure.
How is this graded? Evidence level B for the recorded detection; origin unresolved.
Sources
Linked citations appear in the Sources panel below this article.