The Wow signal was a strong narrowband radio signal detected on August 15, 1977

Response [ edit ] In 2012, on the 35th anniversary of the Wow! signal, the Arecibo Observatory was said to have beamed a digital stream towards Hipparcos 34511, 33277, and 43587.[45] The transmission consisted of approximately 10,000 Twitter messages solicited for the purpose by the National Geographic Channel, bearing the hashtag "#ChasingUFOs" (a promotion for one of the channel's TV series).[46] The sponsor also included a series of video vignettes featuring verbal messages from various celebrities.[47] According to Robert Kerr, the former director of the Arecibo Observatory who oversaw the Wow! reply, the transmitter overheated shortly into the first transmission, and it was only sent in the direction of one of the targets. It is unknown how many tweets made it through. None of the targeted stars is within the possible region from which the Wow! signal came.[48] To increase the probability that any extraterrestrial recipients would recognize the signal as an intentional communication from another intelligent life form, Arecibo scientists attached a repeating-sequence header to each message.[46]