Wow! Signal Theory Experiment (GoFundMe)

Peer-reviewed and published in the Washington Academy of Sciences Journal, the Center for Planetary Science proposed a hypothesis stating the famous 1977 "Wow!" signal was a result of two comets emitting hydrogen while transiting the globular star cluster M55 in the constellation Sagittarius.

Surrounding every active comet, such as 266P/Christensen and P/2008 Y2 (Gibbs), is a large hydrogen cloud with a radius of several million kilometers around their nucleus. Therefore, because the frequency for the "Wow" signal fell close to the hydrogen line, and the hydrogen clouds of 266P/Christensen and P/2008 Y2 (Gibbs) were in the proximity of the right ascension and declination values of the "Wow" signal, the comet(s) and/or their hydrogen clouds are strong candidates for the source of the 1977 "Wow" signal.

After dozens of local, national, and international interviews with the media, including NBC News, CBS News, The Smithsonian, The Guardian, and New Scientist, the Center for Planetary Science must now test the hypothesis and astronomers need your help!

Comet 266P/Christensen will transit the neighborhood of the "Wow" signal again on January 25, 2017. And, on January 7, 2018 comet P/2008 Y2 (Gibbs) will also transit the neighborhood of the "Wow" signal. With your assistance, The Center for Planetary Science will have an opportunity to direct a radio telescope toward this phenomenon, analyze the hydrogen spectra of these two comets, and test our hypothesis.

The Center for Planetary Science needs your help in raising funds to purchase and install a 3-meter radio telescope to track and analyze the spectra of these two comets. With your help, our goal is to purchase something similar to the Spider500P parabolic radio telescope, which is equipped with all the parts needed to record radio waves coming from space at 1.42 GHz and with features such as a radiometer (for continuous recordings) and spectrometer. The telescope will be installed on campus at St. Petersburg College and will be transported in our mobile observatory.