Just the facts: PDF: Doppler Blueshift Calculations for WOW! signal (1977): download here | Discussion on the paper: Academia.edu
Preamble
In 2022, I published The WOW! signal, Part 1: Not made by humans?. For the longest time (3 years), I wondered why I left the possibility open for “Part 2” instead of just writing “The End.”
It’s now become clear that Part 2 is essential because it includes an important detail that was missing before: EQUATIONS!
Anyone can write anything, but without mathematical equations, it’s just prose. So, here, now, for anyone to check, are the steps required to verify the movement of the Wow! signal towards Earth at 10.526 km/s in 1977.
This truly represents a significant paradigm shift. Previously, the Wow! signal was just the most plausible and only candidate for a radio transmission of non-human extraterrestrial origin in space. Now it is shown that this signal was moving and en route to Earth.
Whatever this means (We Are Not Alone?), it is remarkable that the Doppler calculations on this signal have never been published before. Did the authorities believe it would cause a panic?
Introduction
The Wow! signal has been the strongest and only serious candidate for ETi radio communication for almost half a century. New calculations support that the Wow! signal may have originated from a moving source heading for Earth, adding to its significance in the search for extraterrestrial life.
The text describes the Wow! signal, a strong radio transmission detected by the Big Ear telescope on August 15, 1977, at a frequency of 1420.4556 MHz, which corresponds to a wavelength of 21.105373 cm. The signal’s expected frequency, based on hydrogen, is 1420405751.768 Hz, translating to a wavelength of 21.106114054160 cm. The Doppler shift calculations yield a speed of approximately 10,526 m/sec (37,893 km/h), suggesting that the signal originated from an object approaching Earth. Shown here are the steps to calculate the Doppler shift speed. For context, the average speed of asteroids is around 18–20 km/s, while comets that impact Earth typically travel at about 30 km/s. In comparison, the human-made Voyager spacecraft 1 and 2 are currently traveling at speeds of 15 to 17 km/s.
Image NASA: example of atmospheric entry, showing the Mars Exploration Rover aeroshell (MER).
For a better understanding, I added the illustration of the Mars Exploration Rover’s entry into the Mars atmosphere. NASA did choose this shape for its aerodynamic properties. It is possible that the Wow! signal originated from a UFO about to enter Earth’s atmosphere, as much as any other interpretation.
In conclusion, the Wow! signal appears to have originated from an unknown type of source that was approaching Earth at a speed of 10.5 km/s, as indicated by observations and these calculations. It is unknown if this is due to the source’s approach to Earth or the galaxy’s relative movement to Earth. Both scenarios are possible.
Investigations of the Wow! signal to date have not accounted for or mentioned the Doppler blueshift of the signal.
Doppler Shift Calculations for Wow! signal (1977), Page 1Doppler Shift Calculations for Wow! signal (1977), Page 2
At a quarter past ten in the evening on August 15, 1977 a once-in-a-lifetime event took place in Delaware: a signal known as the Wow! signal arrived.
A very strong signal arrived at the “Big Ear” radio telescope. It had all the characteristics of having come from an extraterrestrial intelligent source.
The OSU Big Ear radio observatory was aligned in North/South direction. The parabolic reflector is in the South.
No one was at the telescope at the time. The receiver and telescope computer were doing their jobs all by themselves. Therefore, the signal was actually first detected by a machine, a twelve-year-old computer.
BITS OF INFORMATION The IBM 1130 had first been built in 1965. It looked and felt like an old battleship. It had only 1 megabyte of memory. For that reason, the only record of the radio signal is a 6-digit printout on endless paper. There’s no audio recording of the signal. Today we would have a complete audio recording of it, measuring megabytes, if not gigabytes. But in those days, just six characters on paper had to suffice as a record.
After a few days, the stack of computer printouts from the Selectric printer was bundled by Big Ear technician Gene Mikesell and brought to Jerry Ehman’s home.
Press to stop printing. An IBM 1130 printer, this was the type used at the Big Ear radio-telescope in 1977.
THE ANALYSIS Jerry Ehman was a SETI volunteer with Ohio State University. Together with Bob Dixon, he had written the software for the Big Ear computer in FORTRAN and assembler.
Around the 19th of August, Jerry began analyzing the printouts from the radio telescope at his home, looking for unusual radio signatures.
A few pages into the pile of paper, he saw a peculiar sequence of numbers and characters.
He was astonished. After highlighting in red pen the six characters “6EQUJ5,” Jerry wrote the notation “Wow!” in the left margin of the computer printout opposite them.
The Wow! signal printout
The characters and numbers denoted a powerful narrow-band transmission. Apparently it had come from outer space. Narrowband transmissions usually don’t occur naturally and are a sign of artificial origin.
Conventionally speaking, all artificial things are made by humans. That’s because human language, and the Cambridge Dictionary, defines “artificial” as “made by humans.” That definition may have to be revised.
OPTIMUM CHANNEL The Wow! transmission had all the hallmarks of a radio signal from a non-human extraterrestrial civilization. In the 1959 article “Searching for Interstellar Communications,” Giuseppe Cocconi and Philip Morrison explained that using the 21 cm hydrogen frequency was a logical choice for SETI.
And that was precisely the frequency of the Wow! signal. It had come from the direction in the sky where the constellation Sagittarius is found.
The Big Ear radio and computer shack.
If we transfer the number codes from the Wow! printout to plotting paper, we can see the waxing and waning strength of the 1420 MHz radio beam that reached the radio telescope. Each of the letters and numbers corresponds to a certain signal intensity, as the next graph illustrates.
The signal may have been transmitting for centuries and was never detected because no one looked for it before. The signal source did not move in the sky. The only thing that moved over for 72 seconds was the Earth, rotating majestically from East to West as the radio receiver moved in and out of the signal beam.
And then the signal vanished. Gone. The signal would have been picked up again by the second horn antenna of Big Ear. But it was no longer there.
The rise and fall of the signal we see in the graph above was due to the antenna pattern; the signal itself remained at constant strength.
The graph below shows a similar signal pattern in “OV-221,” an X-Ray radio source to the right of the Wow! signal on this graph.
In this broadband continuum record the Wow! signal does not show up because it is too narrow-band.
After Jerry Ehman showed the computer printout of the Wow! signal to John Kraus and Bob Dixon, they immediately talked about it, speculating and making hypotheses. Quickly, John and Bob began to investigate the various possibilities.
Dr. John Kraus was a physicist and the designer of the Big Ear radio telescope. He actually invented several types of radio antennas.
Bob Dixon was the director of SETI at the Ohio State University radio telescope.
Together they excluded the possibility of the signal having been a plane, planet, asteroid, comet, satellite, spacecraft, ground-based transmitter, or any other known natural source.
Now, since the Wow! signal appeared to be unnatural and no known human cause for it could be found, it was suspected that it could have come from a technological alien civilization.
It was decided to go back to the region in space where the signal had come to see if it could be found again. The scientific method calls for the reproducibility of any experiment or result.
Weeks turned to months, and years into decades, as astronomers from all over the world searched the region in space where the Wow! signal had been detected.
The Wow! signal was never found again.
Calculations on the space region of the Wow! signal
Image by The Planetary Society, license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/
The Wow! signal was observed for 72 seconds. In this time a region of space equivalent to 18 arcminutes was scanned, according to the following calculations:
24h x 60 min = 1440 mins/day = 86400 sec 360° / 86400 = 0.0041° per second 72 seconds = 0.3°
An arcminute (denoted by the symbol ‘), is an angular measurement equal to 1/60 of a degree or 60 arcseconds. To convert a degree measurement to a minute of arc measurement, we multiply the angle by the conversion ratio.
The angle in minutes of arc is equal to the degrees multiplied by 60: 0.3 x 60 = 18 arcminutes.
As seen from the Earth, the Sun and Moon both have angular diameters of about 30 arcminutes. The full moon’s average apparent size is about 31 arcminutes (or 0.52°).
In other words, the Wow! signal spanned an area of about half the size of the Sun or the Moon, as seen from Earth in the sky. That is a rather large area in astronomy.
On the basis of this simple calculation, I cannot readily agree that the Wow! signal came from a pointlike source. That may or may not be a problem. It can be resolved by agreeing that the resolution of the Big Ear radio telescope was not any better!
The frequency and speed of the Wow! signal source
It’s assumed that aliens that use the hydrogen frequency do so in a manner to compensate for the motion of their planet with respect to the motion of Earth. Otherwise, the precise frequency of the hydrogen becomes higher or lower.
That’s why it’s important to look at the precise frequency of the signal.
Jerry Ehman in 1998 gave a value of 1420.4556±0.005 MHz.
This is (50±5 kHz) above the hydrogen line value of 1420.4058 MHz.
Only one of those frequencies could be the correct one. The explanation of the difference between Ehman’s and Kraus’s values was that a new oscillator had been ordered for the frequency of 1450.4056 MHz.
The university’s purchasing department then made a typographical error in the order and wrote 1450.5056 MHz instead of 1450.4056 MHz. The software used in the experiment was then written to adjust for this error. When Ehman computed the frequency of the Wow! signal, he took this error into account.
After all errors are accounted for, the Doppler shift of 1420.4556 MHz indicates that the Wow! signal source moved at a speed of 37,893 km/h towards Earth. The following calculations show how I arrived at that speed:
Calculations on the Doppler shift of the Wow! signal
The Wow! signal was detected at 1420.4556 MHz. First we need to convert the frequency to the wavelength. The wavelength is given by the frequency and the speed of light, how far one wave crest travels in a given time span.
The frequency of the Wow! signal 1420.4556 MHz is equal to a wavelength of (Δλ) 21.105373 cm. That’s the distance between each wave crest.
The presumed origin signal of hydrogen has a precise frequency of 1420405751.768 Hz, equivalent to the wavelength of (λ) 21.106114054160 cm. Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrogen_line
Now we subtract 299 781 932.02409 m/sec [Doppler shifted Wow! signal speed from v = (Δλ/λ) * c] -299 792 458 m/sec [ speed of light (c)] ______________________
10 526 m/sec = 37 893 km/h or 10.526 km/sec.
Ref. 1: The source of the Wow! signal approached Earth at a speed of 37 893 km/h or 23 545 mph, if the transmission frequency was from hydrogen.
The average speed of asteroids is 18-20 km/s vs. the 10.52 km/s from the Wow! signal. Comets that impact Earth usually are also faster, at 30 km/s.
The Wow! signal has been the strongest and only serious candidate for ETi radio communication for almost half a century. New calculations support that the Wow! signal may have originated from a moving source heading for Earth, adding to its
Mathematical equations can be considered evidence, but the context in which they are used is crucial. This is particularly evident when we examine events like the Wow! Signal, where data interpretation plays a significant role.
In the case of the Wow! signal, which was a strong narrowband radio signal detected by the Big Ear radio telescope in 1977, considering a mathematical equation as evidence requires careful consideration. It is important to consider the context and underlying assumptions.
Context of the Wow! Signal
Observational Nature: The Wow! signal was a one-time event that has not been observed again since its detection. This raises questions about reproducibility and the reliability of the interpretation of the signal.
Doppler Effect: The Doppler equation suggests blueshift (indicating that the signal source was approaching Earth). This is based on the principles of the Doppler effect. The Doppler effect describes how the frequency of emitted waves changes depending on the relative motion of the source and the observer. If a source is moving toward the observer, the waves are compressed, leading to a higher frequency (blueshift).
Mathematical Equation as Evidence
(Daguerreotype of Christian Andreas Doppler, 1803-1853)
In this instance, the mathematical equations associated with the Doppler effect can serve as supportive evidence.
This is possible if the following conditions are met:
Interpretation of the Signal: The mathematical model using the Doppler effect must be appropriately applied to the observed frequency of the Wow! signal. If the frequency of the signal is higher than what would be expected if the source were stationary, this shift can indeed be calculated. Then, using the Doppler equation, it provides a logical framework supporting the hypothesis that the source is moving towards Earth.
Consistency with Observations: For the equation to be considered evidence, it must be consistent with other data. We need to consider the characteristics of the signal (frequency, duration, etc.) and any additional analysis. For example, the lack of nearby astronomical sources that could explain the signal.
Limitations and Alternatives: While the Doppler equation suggests that the source was approaching, it is crucial to acknowledge the limitations of this interpretation. The single observation leaves room for alternative explanations. For example, it could have been interference or another cosmic phenomenon.
But we need to acknowledge that terrestrial interference or cosmic phenomena have long ago been ruled out by Dick Arnold, Bob Dixon, Jerry Ehman Ed Teiga and John Kraus.
The Wow! Signal equation serves as evidence for a hypothesis, rather than serving as conclusive proof. The scientific method requires ruling out other explanations. Obtaining corroborating evidence through multiple observations or analyses is necessary before drawing definitive conclusions.
“There is no evidence that can’t be contradicted either by fact or lies.”
Erich Habich-Traut
In human discourse, where perception and persuasion play roles, that statement reflects a pragmatic reality: evidence is often subject to challenge, whether valid or not.
What type of evidence is logically or empirically unassailable?
Call for Action
Okay, we are looking for corroborating evidence for the hypothesis that Earth is being visited by extraterrestrial spacecraft, and has been for some time. We are looking for multiple observations as corroborating evidence. Does anyone have “corroborating evidence”?
(There are literally hundreds of thousands of reported unexplained sightings. Here is just a small number, two of which are mine. This explains my interest in this subject.)
Exhibit A: the Calvine UFO
What really happened in Calvine? The mystery behind the best UFO picture ever seen
In August 1990, two hikers sent photos of a strange diamond-shaped aircraft to the press – but the story never appeared. Was it a prank, a hoax, an optical illusion or something else entirely?
Exhibit B: the Puerto Rico UFO
50-Year-Old “Best Photograph Of A UFO Ever Taken” Goes Viral
The photo was taken by Sergio Loaiza in September, 1971, as he flew over Costa Rica on a mission to survey land for the construction of a hydroelectric project.
Exhibit C: the Salthill Sighting, my own sighting, 1986, Mufon #11680
THE SALTHILL UFO
THE SALTHILL UFO SIGHTING, GALWAY, 22nd February – 1st of March 1986
Exhibit D: the M6 sighting, my own sighting, 1995, Mufon #82139
My “lost” UFO sighting
Why I’m coming forward now During April 2020 I had a lot of time on my hands. It was the first Corona lockdown in Germany. I decided to sort through old 35 mm negatives in an old drawer in our basement. The drawer serves as a storage box. As I was pulling the film strips … Continue reading “My “lost” UFO sighting”
The Pentagon has officially released three short videos showing “unidentified aerial phenomena” that had previously been released by a private company.
I have been contemplating the implications of the blue shift observed in the Wow! signal equations, as well as the nature of its source.
Background: this article explains the Wow! signal equations:
The Wow! Signal: A Cosmic Riddle Solved by Mathematics?
Learn about the Wow! Signal, its unique characteristics, and how the Doppler effect plays a role in interpreting this event.
So, why would the Wow! signal have been blue-shifted?
Hydrogen-Fusion Drive
1: The signal source is the emission of a hydrogen fusion drive for object deceleration. Hydrogen fusion drives currently exceed human technology. The signal source “object” had a speed similar to that of Apollo capsules during their entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
I am not categorically suggesting that this “object” entered the atmosphere; rather, I am stating that the speed of the signal source was comparable to that of the Apollo capsules. However, it cannot be excluded that the Wow! signal source (the object the hypothetical fusion drive was attached to) entered the Earth’s atmosphere and landed.
An artist’s rendering of the Apollo command module’s re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. Image by NASA
Hydrogen Maser
2: The signal source was a hydrogen maser that was approaching the Earth and emitted a signal. The reason for this is unknown. Was extraterrestrial intelligence attempting to attract attention? If so, then why was the signal not repeated?
Image: Space hydrogen maser, ESA
Related Sightings?
3: As a consequence, were there unusual UFO sightings on or after August 18, 1977? Or did other extraordinary events occur after 18. August 1977?
A. Two days later, on August 20, 1977, NASA successfully launched the first Voyager spacecraft. It carried a golden record with sounds and images of Earth, intended as a message to any intelligent life form that might encounter it.
Voyager Golden Record
B. On October 6, 1977, the United Nations Assembly debated the existence of UFOs. The researchers presented a proposal to investigate the phenomenon.
U.N. Hears Call to Debate U.F.O.’s
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., Oct. 7 Grenada’s Prime Minister picked a drowsy Friday afternoon to share a personal revelation with fellow diplomats.
C. On November 26, 1977, a strange transmission interrupted a news program on ITN, a British television channel. A distorted voice claiming to be Vrillon, a representative of the Ashtar Galactic Command, replaced the sound.
Southern Television broadcast interruption – Wikipedia
The Southern Television broadcast interruption was a broadcast signal intrusion that occurred on 26 November 1977 in parts of southern England in the United Kingdom. The audio of a Southern Television broadcast was replaced by a voice claiming to represent the “Ashtar Galactic Command”, delivering a message instructing humanity to abandon its weapons so it could participate in a “future awakening” and “achieve a higher state of evolution”. After six minutes, the broadcast returned to its scheduled programme.
A, B and C are just some examples that immediately come to mind, when thinking about 1977—they are not inclusive.
The Wow! signal, a mysterious radio transmission detected in 1977, continues to provoke debate within the astronomical community. Some claim that the signal has been debunked, primarily by a new generation of undergraduate radio astronomers working within the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). These aspiring scientists often seek to make a name for themselves by challenging existing theories and offering alternative explanations for promising SETI candidate signals.
Recent Attempts to Debunk the Wow! Signal
The latest attempt to debunk the Wow! signal stems from undergraduates involved in the Laser SETI project. They recently published a thesis arguing that the Wow! signal was a byproduct of a strong natural radio emission from a nearby star, which purportedly excited a nearby hydrogen cloud. However, this theory is fraught with problems. To elaborate, not only has this behavior never been observed in nature, but calculations also indicate that no star could emit sufficient radiation to adequately excite a hydrogen cloud to produce such a signal—this discrepancy is by an order of several magnitudes.
Celebration and Media Reaction
In response to their findings, the students involved in Laser SETI celebrated their work with accolades and disseminated their conclusions through social media platforms, claiming to have “solved” the mystery of the Wow! signal. As is often the case, the media quickly picked up this narrative, declaring the Wow! signal debunked. Millions of readers absorbed this information without questioning its validity.
Contradictions in the Hydrogen Cloud Theory
Furthermore, it is important to note that the characteristics of the Wow! signal, as it was actually detected, strongly contradict the hydrogen cloud theory. Specifically, the signal exhibited a blue shift, indicating that it was approaching Earth, a behavior that is inconsistent with the expected properties of hydrogen clouds.
The Importance of Critical Examination
In conclusion, while the search for answers continues, it is crucial to approach claims of debunking with a critical eye. The Wow! signal remains one of the most intriguing phenomena in the field of radio astronomy, prompting continued investigation and discussion. Rather than hastily dismissing it, scientists and enthusiasts alike should remain open to the numerous possibilities the Wow! signal presents, as we persist in our quest to understand the cosmos.
Questioning the Intentions of SETI Researchers
The image below is from the presentation of Laser SETI regarding the Wow! signal. Is SETI supposed to find extraterrestrial intelligence, or is it employed to obfuscate and deny every credible claim?
Laser SETI astronomers Dr. Lauren Sgro and Dr. Franck Marchis, via YouTube
Look at the guys from Laser SETI grinning and giving the thumbs up sign. Whose side are they on? Do they believe that SETI serves as a lucrative venture, allowing them to conduct insignificant studies that yield no results, only to receive taxpayer funds into their bank accounts, all while feigning a diligent pursuit of truth and the advancement of humanity?
I have doubts.
Why did not ONE radio astronomer publish the Doppler calculations of the Wow! signal? Did they not even think of doing it?
Here are the equations, after 48 years: PDF: Doppler Blueshift Calculations for WOW! signal (1977): [download here]
Imagine, for a moment, a solitary spacecraft drifting beyond the edge of our solar system. Onboard, a golden record spins silently, carrying whispers of human laughter, the songs of whales, and the crackle of a mother’s heartbeat. This artifact, this Voyager, is a testament to our yearning—a bottled message cast into the cosmic ocean. Yet, as it voyages through the interstellar dark, one question lingers like a shadow: If its call were answered, would we truly be ready?
The Fragile Mosaic of “Humanity”
We speak of “humanity” as a single chorus, but ours is a symphony of dissonance and harmony. Seven billion souls, fractured by borders, ideologies, and creeds, yet bound to a mote of dust suspended in a sunbeam. Could we, in the face of an extraterrestrial Other, set aside ancient grudges and newfound fears? Or would we splinter further, our divisions magnified under the cold gaze of the universe?
Are we, in our adolescence as a species, prepared to shield our flame—and to recognize the light of another?
Equipped: Beyond Ray Guns and Radio Telescopes
To be “equipped” is not merely to wield the tools of detection—the arrays of antennas listening for faint stellar murmurs or laboratories teasing apart Martian soil for microbial hieroglyphs. It is to cultivate the wisdom to wield them well.
The Moral Universe: Whose Ethics Will Guide Us?
What ethical compass will steer us if we encounter beings whose very biology defies earthly logic? Creatures who breathe methane, communicate in ultraviolet, or perceive time as a spiral rather than an arrow? The Golden Rule, ancient and universal, may falter in the face of such radical difference.
Passive Dreamers or Active Architects?
We are the ones whispering into the void, sending probes and involuntary signals like children skipping stones into a bottomless sea. But what if the sea answers? Have our antennas maybe already picked up a signal—a cosmic “hello”, that may rewrite our theology, science, and philosophy, if understood?
A Call to Cosmic Citizenship
The challenge before us is to mature as a species—to see ourselves not as tribes or nations, but as Earthlings. To recognize that every war, every injustice, and every act of ecological myopia weakens our readiness for the cosmos.
In the words of Sagan, “Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves.” The universe does not care if we fail. But if we succeed—if we unite in curiosity, compassion, and foresight—we might yet earn a place among the stars.
So let us gaze upward, not with fear, but with the courage to confront our flaws. Let us craft a future worthy of the cosmos we seek to join. The night sky is alive with possibilities. The question is: Are we?
After all, the stars are not just distant suns. They are mirrors, reflecting back who we are—and who we might become.
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