It’s been nearly 50 years since astronomers detected the most famous space signal we’ve ever received—a 72-second radio burst that lit up a printout at Ohio State’s Big Ear radio telescope in 1977. The stunned researcher, Jerry Ehman, circled the bizarre spike and wrote one word in the margin: “Wow!”
Since then, the Wow! Signal has fueled endless speculation from alien contact theories to cosmic flukes. But now, scientists may be getting closer to the truth. And here’s the twist: you can help.
Scientists Reopen the Case
Researchers at the University of Puerto Rico’s Planetary Habitability Laboratory have spent years digging through archived SETI data, revisiting the signal with modern analysis tools. Their latest findings suggest the signal likely came from a natural astrophysical event, not an alien transmission.
It may have been caused by a rare flare from a magnetar or soft gamma repeater, creating a sudden brightening of hydrogen radio waves in deep space.
“This study doesn’t close the case,” lead researcher Abel Méndez said. “It reopens it, but now with a much sharper map in hand.”
Join the Search From Home
Enter Wow@Home, the team’s citizen science initiative that lets amateur astronomers join the search for similar cosmic signals. The kicker? You don’t need a NASA-sized budget.
Here’s what you need to get started:
Here’s a breakdown of the equipment you’ll need to join Wow@Home:
- A Software Defined Radio (SDR) dongle – ~$30
A USB-powered radio receiver that captures wideband radio signals. - A low-noise amplifier (LNA) – ~$20
Boosts weak radio signals before they’re processed. - A directional antenna – ~$100–150
Think: a helical or Yagi antenna to target specific parts of the sky. - A Raspberry Pi or mini PC – ~$100–200
Runs the scanning software and syncs with Wow@Home’s database. - Cables, connectors, weatherproofing, and mounting hardware – ~$50–100
- You’ll also need to install Wow@Home’s free software, which handles signal analysis and uploads interesting findings to a shared database.
You won’t be alone. Dozens of small-scale stations can run 24/7, collecting radio data that large observatories often can’t capture due to limited scheduling.
Why It Matters
The Wow! Signal may not have been a phone call from aliens—but it still holds clues about how energy moves through the galaxy. And for the first time, non-scientists have a shot at contributing to the next big discovery in radio astronomy.
With the 50th anniversary of the Wow! Signal approaching in 2027, the race is on to unlock its secrets. You don’t need a PhD to take part—just a little curiosity and some DIY spirit.
