Astronomers once detected a powerful radio signal from deep space that never repeated
In 1977, the Big Ear radio telescope intercepted a 72-second signal from the constellation Sagittarius that perfectly matched the expected signature of an interstellar broadcast.
Astronomer Jerry Ehman discovered the signal while reviewing computer printouts, circling the intensity sequence '6EQUJ5' and writing 'Wow!' in the margin. The signal was 30 times stronger than the background noise of deep space and occurred at the 1420 MHz frequency, which is the natural radio emission of neutral hydrogen. This 'hydrogen line' is considered the most likely frequency for an alien civilization to use.
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