· by rami.spaceaustralia.com ·1d ago · view on bsky.app ↗

It's been almost 50 years (today is the 49th anniversary) since the WOW! signal! A very strong, narrowband radio signal that originated from deep space and lasted for 72s. The signal has never recurred, and we still don't know what caused it. 📸 Big Ear Radio Observatory/NAAPO 🔭📡

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Print out of computerised reading of radio waves from space, with several columns representing different parameters of the signal. On the left hand side a vertical series of numbers and letters is circled (with a pen) with the words WOW! written next to it.

#radioastronomy

8 comments — live from bluesky

The Tabourie Witch · 0 · 1d ago

Ooh I listened to the Monkey Cage episode where they talked about this!

PDP1145 · 1 · 1d ago

Dang! If we had the analog recording of it, it might show the broadcast of the 1936 Olympics. (I do believe in life in the cosmos, of course. What's the status of any optical SETI searches these days?).

mattp1086.bsky.social · 6 · 1d ago

It was my desktop wallpaper back in the late 90s, while I ran Seti@Home on my souped up dual CPU 450MHz (overclocked) PC :)

JSnow’s playlist roulette · 0 · 1d ago

A fascinating story regardless of the as yet unanswered questions.

Jack Horne · 3 · 1d ago

Just a few hours before Elvis left the building. Hmmmm 🤔

CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ · 25 · 1d ago

There have been many theories as to its origin. Some have postulated that it could be from an extraterrestrial civilisation (due to its strength and narrowband), but many natural causes can also explain it. Follow @profabelmendez.bsky.social for more! Read: arxiv.org/abs/2606.111... 🔭 📡

🖐️🔺🤚 ⚫⚪ WOPR SYSPROG:> Headly Earnest Bellringer, 6EQUJ5 · 1 · 1d ago

Zyphex🇨🇦🍉🇺🇦 · 0 · 1d ago

The one I've heard that makes the most sense is Alien radar ping.

CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ · 2 · 1d ago

I tend to opt for more natural causes! The website I linked to at the end of that thread has a nice explainer and diagram about a maser-like origin.

CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ · 21 · 1d ago

There's also a really nice website set up here if you want to do a deep dive into this mysterious cosmic event. phl.upr.edu/wow

rgoers.bsky.social · 2 · 1d ago

Bring back Arecibo

Dexter Remmick · 1 · 22h ago

I thought I heard somewhere that it ended up being a poorly shielded breakroom microwave??

CosmicRami 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️ · 4 · 22h ago

that was a different telescope ... that was with Murriyang (Parkes radio telescope) and much more recently. Check out this link: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peryton...

Dexter Remmick · 1 · 22h ago

Thank you!

Arkham fantasy · 0 · 1d ago

I can’t remember the specifics, but I remember watching a @fcain.universetoday.com interview where an astronomer proposed something like a magnetaur going through a hydrogen cloud could explain it. Not sure if this was peer reviewed or not.