For researchers seeking answers to the question of whether we are alone in the universe, one event nearly half a century ago lingers even today — the so-called "Wow! Signal" detected back in 1977.

That strong, baffling radio episode was captured by Ohio State University's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) project, also known as the "Big Ear." It has been viewed by some as one of the oddest radio transmissions from afar ever detected, also cited as compelling evidence for extraterrestrial intelligence.

The outburst was a strong narrowband radio signal received on Aug. 15, 1977 by Ohio State University's Big Ear radio telescope. Astronomer Jerry Ehman discovered the anomaly a few days later while reviewing the recorded data — writing on a computer printout "Wow!"

Unpublished

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