SETI researchers recorded a mysterious space sound similar to the “Wow” signal from 1977.
SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute, caught a signal out from space that stirred up new questions regarding alien life and their intent to contact us.
The team of researchers used a Russian telescope and received a radio signal from a star at 94 light-years away from Earth.
The astronomers believe that the signal is very similar to what a sophisticated civilization might send out if trying to contact humans. However, this scenario even though possible, is not also very probable. The signal could have been produced by interferences or other celestial events.
Unfortunately, no one will be able to tell what exactly the signal means until the source will be detected.
Bizarre SETI Signals
A similar recording took place in August 1977, when the Big Ear radio observatory from the Ohio State University captured a sound that was unexplainable. The length of the signal was 72 seconds, and the sound was named “Wow”. A volunteer astronomer wrote the exclamation on the printout of the recording.
The previous radio signal was 30 times more powerful than the background noises. However, the researchers could not determine the source of the 1977 signal. Up until now, the SETI Institute failed to record a similar sound coming from space.
The only indication was that the signal could have come from the constellation Sagittarius.
“There are going to signal that you see once and don’t see again. It’s like people who see ghosts. If you see it once, but when you go back, with a camera and all that, it’s not there, what do you conclude from that? ” said Seth Shostak, a senior astronomer at the SETI.
In a way, the two signals are somewhat similar as they both appeared and disappeared very quickly. Therefore, the scientists rule out the possibility of a satellite producing the sound.
The star HD 164595, which is believed to be the location source of the sound, has a planet with a mass similar to the one of Neptune. However, the world is too hot to be able to foster life as we have on Earth. The researchers do not exclude the possibility that the star might harbor other planets that remained undiscovered so far.
After the detection, the SETI Institute astronomers focused the Allen Telescope Array from California to the HD 164595 star. However, the signal did not repeat. New discussions will take place at the International Astronautical Congress from Guadalajara, Mexico.
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