As Forbes reported this week, the “Wow!” signal was received at Ohio State University’s Big Ear Radio Observatory (now defunct) in August 1977. It became known as the “Wow!” signal because of the three-letter designation applied in the margins of the data sheet (by astronomer Jerry Ehman) when it was detected. Unfortunately, however, in the nearly 40 years since the data rolled out, the signal has not been repeated.

Bob Dixon, Ohio State University’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence program director in 1977, at one time told Forbes contributor Bruce Dorminey that the signal at least originated at a distance farther than the Moon.

Several indicators gave astronomers hope that the signal came from far beyond the Moon. The direction of the signal came from the star cluster M55 in the constellation of Sagittarius. It also closely matched the narrow emission line of hydrogen at 1420 megahertz, known as a radio-quiet spot by scientists with the potential for being an interstellar transmission frequency for alien civilizations. And at the time the “Wow!” signal was received, it was the strongest SETI candidate signal ever recorded.

The data sheet showing the famous Wow! signal. [Big Ear Radio Observatory and North American Astrophysical Observatory (NAAPO) [Public domain]/ Wikimedia Commons]

Now there are, of course, the much stronger FRBs (Fast Radio Bursts), the first of which was detected in 2007. These milliseconds-long broadband pulses of radio energy are also of unknown origin. But in contrast to the “Wow!” signal, there is a set of repeating FRBs.

But as romantic as it is to press for the idea that the “Wow!” signal is of extraterrestrial origin, there are those who argue that it is unlikely. Dan Werthimer, chief scientist at the University of California at Berkeley’s SETI program, acknowledged that the term “Wow!” was appropriately used, but he also says that the find would have been more impressive had the signal been replicated, because that would have indicated that the signal was an artificial radio broadcast from an interstellar source.

Werthimer believes that, with 99 percent confidence, the signal received at the Big Ear Radio Observatory was produced not by aliens, but by radio frequency interference (RFI).

And there are other hypotheses as to what produced the “Wow!” signal. A 2015 paper published by the Washington Academy of Sciences posited that two comets transited the Sagittarius constellation and produced a hydrogen cloud around the comets’ nuclei. (Dorminey argues that, if this were the case, a signal along the hydrogen emission line would likely have been picked up within the last five decades. This, as noted, has not happened.)

SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) has been ongoing for nearly seven decades. [Image by Piotr Zajda/Shutterstock]

Dorminey believes the signal emanates from a “very distant or unusual and/or poorly-understood astrophysical phenomenon.”

From Forbes: “Werthimer, however, says either the ‘Wow!’ signal’s rise and fall in strength was actually intrinsic to the signal, in which case he says it would have to be RFI. Or if the signal were from a distant source, he says, then it would be constant in power and its rise and fall in strength would be due to Earth’s rotation.”

That state of ambiguity is what sets up the possibility that the signal is alien in origin, something that Werthimer acknowledges.

“We can’t rule out E.T.”

Nor can it be ruled out that an alien civilization had nothing to do with the signal. In a 2012 podcast, skeptic Brian Dunning noted (per Skeptoid) that the 1977 radio detection was “apparently, a signal from outer space.” However, he added, “In conclusion, yes, an alien intelligence is still a candidate explanation for the Wow! signal. But there’s no evidence for this. A stronger candidate is the significantly more vague explanation of an interstellar radio source of unknown origin.”

[Featured Image by Sue Leonard Photography/Shutterstock]

Star KIC 8462852 was detected in 2015 as presenting a peculiar dimming process, an event or action that somehow blocked up to 20 percent of the light being emitted from the distant star. As Popular Science explained, the amount of light being blocked was far too much to be an occlusion caused by the transit of an exoplanet. And since the dimming phenomenon was first detected by astronomer Tabetha Boyajian, there have been several hypotheses suggested — from swarms of comets to an artificial “alien megastructure” built by an advanced extraterrestrial civilization — as to what might be the cause of the bizarre effect.

But Jason Wright was first to sound the alarm that something was again occurring at Tabby’s Star — and referred to it as “dipping” — and astronomers needed to focus on the faraway stellar mass to gather data.

ALERT:@tsboyajian‘s star is dipping

This is not a drill.

Astro tweeps on telescopes in the next 48 hours: spectra please!

— Jason Wright (@Astro_Wright) May 19, 2017

Boyajian wasn’t too far behind, adding a “call to action” Twitter post with a retweet of Wright’s post.

CALL TO ACTION!! https://t.co/ll69iRowqi

— Tabetha Boyajian (@tsboyajian) May 19, 2017

The intent, of course, is for astronomers and scientists to direct as many detection instruments toward KIC 8462852 as possible so as to perhaps gather enough data to discover what might be producing the dimming, or “dipping,” effect around the star. According to Wright, the star had dimmed as much as two percent as of Friday (May 19) morning (per the Daily Mail).

Wright’s initial analysis was corroborated Saturday (May 20) by Fairborn Observatory in Arizona, which confirmed that Tabby’s Star had dimmed by three percent. To indicate just how unusual the dimming effect actually is, Popular Science offered the comparison of the planet Jupiter blocking the star, an action that would see the occlusion of only one percent of the star’s light, if that.

Abstract of a Dyson sphere, which is a possible explanation of for the ‘alien megastructure’ hypothesis presented as the cause for the dimming effect of Tabby’s Star. [Image by Alexander Mozymov/Shutterstock]

The most popular explanation for the star’s dimming has been the hypothesis that an “alien megastructure” has been constructed, or is being constructed, around Tabby’s Star. It has been posited that something on the order of a Dyson sphere, a construct built to surround a star so as to gather all available energy from the star as a resource, might be the answer to the strange dimming process.

It has been hypothesized that the dimming star KIC 8462852 might be caused by an alien megastructure, like a Dyson sphere. [Image by vrx/Shutterstock]

But popular consensus is not science and scientists, although just as excited as the next individual to entertain the possibility of the existence of an alien civilization, have been hard-pressed to come up with an answer to the dimming of Tabby’s Star. Back in September, the Inquisitr reported that scientists Valeri Makarov, of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., and Alexey Goldin, of Teza Technologies in Chicago, revealed their idea that the dimming effect of KIC 8462852 is not an “alien megastructure” but the result of an occluding cloud of space junk that has accumulated between the star and the observers on Earth. The hypothesis of a swarm of comets inside the system of Tabby’s Star producing the dip in light emission was simply transplanted into the idea that there was a swarm of “interstellar comets” causing the effect.

The list of observatories that have turned their telescopes toward KIC 8462852 includes Swift, Keck, Fairborn, and Lick.

Although the event presents an opportunity for scientists to study the star as it appears to be actually dimming (which it has noticeably done at over an extended period of time), Wright admitted, “I don’t think we’re going to solve the puzzle this weekend.” However, the astronomer was hopeful that the collected data from the weekend’s observations could eventually lead to the solution.

[Featured Image by vrx/Shutterstock]

A SEVEN-year-old boy is said to have captured on camera this bizarre ghost-like figure through an aeroplane window.

What do you think it is?

Astronomy professor Zaza Osmanov of the Free University of Tbilisi published a paper last year, according to the Daily Mail, wherein he posited that alien megastructures such as the one hypothesized to exist around the mysterious star KIC 8462852, or Tabby’s Star, might not be constructed in spherical forms (Dyson spheres) but are more likely to exist as Dyson rings. And they would be built around pulsars, not stars.

The movement, or rotation, of the ring with relation to the host star could account for the odd dimming and brightening exhibited by the star over the years, Osmanov argued. And since such structures would likely be built out to roughly an astronomical unit (AU, the distance from the Sun to the Earth) from the host object if the object were a star, it would place the ring in the star’s habitable zone. Osmanov estimated that pulsars would host habitable zones at roughly 0.1 AU.

In a follow-up paper, Prof. Osmanov now suggests that the alien megastructure rings should be easily spotted with the use of modern technology. And they should be detectable by their infrared signatures. According to Phys.org, Osmanov also calculated at what distances the alien megastructures could be detected.

Astronomer Zaza Osmanov suggests that, instead of Dyson spheres around stars, advanced alien civilizations might build Dyson rings around pulsars. [Image by vrx/Shutterstock]

He believes that the number of potential candidate pulsars within the calculated distance (observable space) to be 64.

“We have argued that by monitoring the nearby zone of the solar system approximately 64 pulsars are expected to be located inside it.”

By directing astronomers’ attention to the more likely locations where an advanced alien civilization might be, the Georgian professor believes he will save scientists from looking for extraterrestrials, especially well-advanced aliens, in the wrong places.

Osmanov’s ideas have offered a possible path to the discovery of extraterrestrial life, not to mention the possibility that said aliens just might be from a super-advanced civilization. (To have the capability to build such a massive artificial structure, the alien civilization would place as a Level II civilization on the Kardashev Scale. By comparison, humanity barely registers on the scale, having not even learned as yet to harness the resources of our home world.) However, the astronomer also cautions that such an advanced civilization would have the capability of destroying mankind should they so choose to do.

An alien civilization advanced enough to build a ringworld around a star or pulsar would be at Level II on the Kardashev Scale, a metric table that has humanity barely above zero in terms of technological advancement. [Image by vrx/Shutterstock]

In other news concerning possible alien megastructures, a detected dimming of Tabby’s star has prompted a “call to action” by scientists this week to direct telescopes toward star KIC 8462852. As was reported by the Inquisitr, it is doubtful that the answer to the odd dimming mystery will occur over a weekend’s observations, but it is hoped that the data gathered by a number of telescopes from around the world might point to a solution as to why Tabby’s Star has dimmed as much as 20 percent.

Astronomer Jason Wright of Penn State University first alerted the scientific community of the most recent dip in brightness of the star after noticing that KIC 8462852 had dimmed two percent. Within 24 hours, the findings had been corroborated and the dimming was found to be three percent.

First detected in 2015 by Tabetha Boyajian, the astronomer from whom the star gets its nickname, several hypotheses have been offered — from periodic comet swarms to alien megastructures to an occluding field of comets or interstellar space junk located in interstellar space — to explain the dimming process.

[Featured Image by vrx/Shutterstock]

News Source: Daily Express
Actual Report: Link to the MUFON Report

News States:

A BIZARRE report has been filed with the world’s biggest UFO research organisation claiming to be from a body-snatching extraterrestrial being stranded on Earth.

MUFON has received a report from someone alleging to be an alien stranded on earth

The claim comes about after Hillary Clintons recent pledge to uncover UFO cover up within the US Government.

Scott C Waring, editor of UFO Sightings Daily has posted copies to his website of a letter sent by JFK to the then head of the CIA just 10 days before he was murdered.

He writes:

“Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton doesn’t know it yet, but she does not have the power to release such information.

“CIA would kill her before she could, just like they did JFK. “

JFK murdered after demanding release of top secret UFO files

Scoot goes on to say:

“Yes, just a week before his death JFK wrote a memo to CIA to release all pertinent info to NASA, but somehow he was killed before it ever happened.

“I was the first to publish this document in my book UFO Sightings 2006-2009.”

We can confirm that the memo is an official declassified document released by the CIA.

“JFK wrote the memo to CIA on Nov 12, 1963, then on Nov 22, 1963 he was killed.

“Hillary will be too scared of the CIA to release such information.”

In the memo JFK asked for a breakdown of identified and unidentified sightings the CIA was aware of.

He wrote:

“It would be very helpful if you would have the high threat cases reviewed with the purpose of identification of bona fide as opposed to classified CIA and USAF sources.

“It is important that we make a clear distinction between the knowns and unknowns in the event the Soviets try to mistake our extended cooperation as a cover for intelligence gathering of their defence and space programs.

“I would like you to arrange a program of data sharing with NASA where unknowns are a factor.”

On the same day he sent a different memo to NASA asking for “cooperation with the former Soviet Union on mutual outer space activities.”

From what we understand JFK was concerned about the high level of UFO sightings over Russia, He feared the Soviets would wrongly believe it was US spying equipment and thus endanger the USA.

He went on to visit NASA at Cape Canaveral, Florida four days later on November 16 1963.

Some skeptics believe these memos to be faked. However they are officially confirmed CIA documents. It’s difficult to speculate on an assassination so many years on, but this certainly does add fuel to the fire.

What do you think? Was JFK assassinated because he asked for too much information?

After a year of huge breakthroughs in the hunt for Alien life scientists are now on track to prove that aliens really do exist.

The current opinion is that within as little as two years we should have made contact.

In 2015 the hunt for life outside of Earth took a huge step forward. Cosmic Rivers were discovered on Mars, a number of new habitable “Super Earth” planets were discovered alongside some new eerie alien signals.

People have ridiculed the idea of life on Mars for many years, but scientists believe that aliens are most likely already living on Mars and we should find them very shortly.

The following is courtesy of the Daily Star:

A sequence of groundbreaking revelations have sent shockwaves of excitement through the scientific community this year.

The biggest was NASA’s discovery of water flowing down canyons and craters on the Red Planet in September.

Scientists believe the Martian waterfalls and streams are capable of supporting life – and are now racing to track it down.

This spring the European Space Agency will launch a new Mars probe – which will arrive at our twin planet in late 2016 – to search for alien FARTS.

Dr Lewis Dartnell, of the UK Space Agency, said: “The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter will hopefully see where the whiffs of methane gas are seeping into the martian atmosphere – as this could be a sign of life deep underground.

“Then in 2018, the ESA will launch the ExoMars Rover, which will land on Mars to explore for signs of life.

“For the first time ever, this Mars rover will have a drill – 2m long – to get underground to where the soil has been protected.”

Dr Dartnell – who is busy designing laser eyes for the space bot – hopes Europe traces the aliens two years before NASA’s own alien hunter arrives on Mars in 2020.

The research fellow – of Leicester University – said: “Perhaps there is life on Mars still alive near the surface today – which we may detect in the next few years.”

Astronomers have spotted a number of new “exoplanets” – planets orbiting stars other than our Sun – this year, which could provide a new homeland for humans – or aliens.

Crucially, the Kepler Space Telescope has discovered one that may offer conditions suitable for life.

The new world – called Kepler-452b – is thought to be a rocky “Super Earth” about 60% larger than our home world – and it orbits at the right distance from its Sun-like star.

This month, two separate teams of astronomers claimed to have found a new “Super Earth” Planet X – in our own solar system.

The new planet – or cold brown dwarf star – is thought to be six times as far from the Sun as Pluto – but some conspiracy theorists fear it is the fabled planet Nibiru – which is prophesied to crash into Earth by March 2016.

Even more fantastically, the same Kepler telescope may have found a giant “alien megastructure” in deep space.

Strange light patterns emitting from star KIC 8462852 cannot be explained by the movement of planets – leading Jason Wright – an astronomer at Penn State University – to a “swarm” of of spaceships may be casting a shadow.

Dr Dartnell said: “Now, this is extremely unlikely to be the case – but it has certainly got people thinking about the subject, which has been great.

“This has been an incredibly thrilling year for astrobiology.”

http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/weird-news/482114/scientist-nasa-will-find-aliens-next-few-years-discoveries-2015-2016