New Analysis of 1977 Wow! Signal Reveals Stronger Cosmic Mystery
The famous 1977 “Wow!” signal — a mysterious radio burst detected by Ohio’s Big Ear telescope — has been reanalyzed using modern computing techniques. Researchers digitized old telescope records, finding the signal was about four times stronger than first thought, peaking at 250 Janskys. The recalculations also refined its frequency and sky location, ruling out man-made interference. While the true source remains uncertain, dense hydrogen clouds emitting natural maser signals are now leading candidates. Nearly 50 years later, the Wow! signal continues to puzzle astronomers worldwide.
