Wow! Signal 50th Anniversary — 1977 ∙ 2027
Call for Worldwide Joint Observations:
The 50th Anniversary of the Wow! Signal
Issued by the Japanese Society for SETI
Issued by the Japanese Society for SETI
August 15, 2027, marks the 50th anniversary of the detection of the Wow! Signal. Despite subsequent follow-up observations and discussions, its source remains unknown.
If a similar signal is detected a second time, it could provide critical clues about its periodicity. Furthermore, observational technology has advanced significantly over the past 50 years, making it possible to obtain far more detailed information about the properties of the signal than was possible back then.
Even if the observations reveal that the signal was emitted by an unknown natural phenomenon, or a chance coincidence of several known phenomena, it would still be a valuable discovery for humankind.
Therefore, we are calling for worldwide joint observations of the Wow! Signal source region.
| Assumption | Right Ascension | Declination |
|---|---|---|
| Positive horn | 19h 25m 02s ± 3s | −26° 57′ ± 20′ |
| Negative horn | 19h 27m 55s ± 3s |
In particular, we recommend centering observations on the coordinates of the solar-type star 2MASS 19281982−2640123 (cf. Caballero 2022).
R.A. 19h 28m 19.821s
Dec. −26° 40′ 12.33″
For Optical SETI observations, we highly recommend targeting this star.
Each participating observatory is responsible for analyzing its own acquired data. Publication of the results is also at the discretion of each observatory.
If any candidate signals of extraterrestrial intelligent origin are detected, we recommend following the "IAA Declaration of Principles Concerning the Conduct of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence".
Japanese Society for SETI