Summary
A Harvard astronomer suggests a newly discovered interstellar object, 3I/ATLAS, could be linked to the mysterious 1977 "Wow!" signal that some believe might be a sign of extraterrestrial life. The Wow! signal, detected by an Ohio State University telescope, remains unexplained and 3I/ATLAS is being studied for a potential connection.
Key Facts
- The "Wow!" signal was detected on August 15, 1977, by Ohio State's Big Ear radio telescope.
- It is named "Wow!" after an astronomer wrote the word "Wow!" on the data sheet upon discovery.
- Harvard astronomer Avi Loeb proposes that interstellar object 3I/ATLAS might be linked to the Wow! signal.
- 3I/ATLAS is the third known object from outside the solar system detected nearby.
- The object was first spotted by the ATLAS telescope in Chile on July 1.
- NASA identified 3I/ATLAS as a comet with a nucleus possibly 3.5 miles wide, traveling at about 137,000 miles per hour.
- The comet follows a hyperbolic path, indicating it came from outside the solar system.
- There is no current evidence of radio signals from 3I/ATLAS, a discovery that could suggest alien technology if found.
