BRIAN COX INVESTIGATES A POTENTIAL SIGNAL FROM EXTRATERRESTRIAL LIFE

Brian Cox explains the purpose of the SETI (Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program, the institution dedicated to being on the permanent lookout for potential signals from extraterrestrial intelligence. These signals might not necessarily be from intelligent life trying to make contact, but more on the lines of detecting a cosmological radio wave footprint of that not of our own.

As it stands, On August the 15th, 1977, SETI picked up a signal from deep space within the constellation of Sagittarius. Around 22:15, a strong radio wave with a wavelength of 21 cm came pulsing in. What was unique about this was that, since the 1950s, astronomers suspected that if an intelligent civilisation were to make contact, they would use that exact wavelength. Since then, that wavelength was reserved only for astronomers.

After the initial 72-second long pulse was recorded, the astronomer who found it circled the findings on the printout and wrote the word "wow" next to it. Since then, it has been referred to as the Wow Signal.

Unfortunately, the signal never struck again to this very day.

Watch the video below by the YouTube channel, BBC, on Professor Brian Cox Investigates A Potential Alien Signal...