Was the "Wow Signal" Emitted from 3I/Atlas?
a day ago
- #Wow! Signal
- #Extraterrestrial
- #3I/ATLAS
- The 'Wow! Signal' was detected in 1977 and is thought to be of extraterrestrial origin.
- A recent hypothesis suggests the signal could have been caused by a brightening of hydrogen from an interstellar cloud, possibly triggered by a magnetar flare.
- The signal's coordinates were close to those of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, with a low chance of random alignment (0.6%).
- If the signal came from 3I/ATLAS, the required transmitter power would be equivalent to a typical nuclear reactor (0.5–2 gigawatts).
- The signal's frequency was slightly blueshifted, consistent with 3I/ATLAS's approach velocity but not a perfect match.
- No radio telescope data exists for 3I/ATLAS, prompting calls for further observation.
- Future observations of 3I/ATLAS are planned by NASA and ESA in 2025.
- The Loeb Scale could help determine the urgency of responding to potential artificial signals from interstellar objects.
- Possible responses include electromagnetic communication or physical interceptors.
- Human interpretation of such signals may be limited by our current knowledge and perception of reality.