Background of the famous "Wow!" has a supernatural character that inspired countless sci-fi interpretations with aliens and is often presented as one of the strongest evidence that we are, in fact, not alone in the universe.
However, the authenticity of his “alien mind” affiliation has been questioned since astronomer Jerry Eiman of Ohio State University used the radio telescope of Ohio State University to look for signals at 10:16 pm ET that may have sent extraterrestrial civilizations.
That night, Ayman found something. And from that night, astronomers are trying to figure out what that means.
At a specified time in the direction of 3 star systems named Chi Sagittarii, in the constellation Sagittarius, Big Ear discovered a 72 second wave radio pulse, with a signal much stronger than background noise. On a computer printout of the observatory, Eyman circled a signal with the infamous signature "Wow!"
This excitement was not an exaggeration, it was the kind of signal he was looking for, the kind of signal that, in the opinion of astronomers, was technologically capable of producing an alien civilization.
The printout of the Big Ear signal contains a bunch of seemingly random letters and numbers, along with Ayman's red circles around the cluster of numbers "6EQUJ5" and the numbers "6" and "7" in separate columns. This special code first uses the digits from 1 to 9, and then the alphabet from A to Z to indicate the signal strength. As the record shows, the signal strength begins with "6", and then explosively grows, passing alphabetically, reaching the peak "U" before weakening back on the numerical scale to level "5." There is also a small longitudinal wave in addition to the main signal (hence the circle "6" and "7"). Waveform Profile "Wow!" graphically presented here. However, since then, the re-detection of the signal of such a force as that day in 1977, was not. Even after the SETI Institute was founded in 1984, and countless efforts were made to find another radio splash similar to the “Wow!” Signal, astronomers encountered silence in space, a problem that only heightens the Fermi paradox alarm.
Now, Antonio Paris from St. Petersburg College, Florida, a former analyst of the US Department of Defense, hopes to unravel the mystery and he suspects that a completely different cosmic phenomenon is to blame for it.
In an interview with TheGuardian.com, Pjris says his research experience suggests another possible explanation for the “Wow!” Signal. He spotted two "suspicious" comets that may have been in close proximity to Chi Sagittarii on August 15, 1977. Interestingly, these comets, called 266P / Christensen and 335P / Gibbs, were discovered only in 2006 and 2008, so were considered as possible causes of the signal in 1977, when no one was aware of their existence.
But how comets can produce stray radio burst?
Signal "Wow!" was recorded in the 1420MHz radio frequency band. It so happened that the cosmic neutral hydrogen emits at this frequency - therefore, such a signal is often found in astronomy. This is not just a coincidence. At what frequency will aliens work - hunters who want to make contact? First, if we put ourselves in the place of aliens, we must assume that hypothetical aliens are likely to use radio waves. Secondly, if they use radio waves to communicate with us, they will most likely use the same frequency as other intelligent foreigners. 1420MHz is a “universal water code” that intelligent life could test and potentially communicate with. The disappointment, however, is that comets contain copious amounts of hydrogen in their atmospheres. Tell me, could the signal "Wow!" to be actually caused by the accidental passage of a comet through the field of view of a radio telescope, creating a powerful radio surge?
In 2017, comet 266P will re-enter orbit in front of Chi Sagittarii, and comet 335P will do it next year and Paris wants to test this hypothesis. Unfortunately, the existing radio telescopes are already booked, so he must buy or build his own radio antenna by the time of the space meeting. He wants to create a crowdfunding campaign to raise the $ 20,000 he needs to overcome most of the journey.
This may be a long way, but, as is the case with many astronomical studies, all possible phenomena must be excluded before the discovery is made. If the experiment Paris proves that the signal "Wow!" was, in fact, caused by the intervention of undiscovered comets, the universe will become even quieter, which will make the Fermi Paradox even more amazing.
