The signal that could be coming from a planet

The Wow! Signal was unusual because it came at a frequency of 1,420 megahertz – the natural emission of hydrogen, and possibly a good way to communicate across the cosmos. But it's not the only signal with that oddity, as SHGb02+14a had the same frequency.

This radio signal was spotted back in February 2003 by the Arecibo Radio Observatory in Puerto Rico. It was discovered by the SETI@home project, where members of the public were invited to sift through data and look for any peculiar signals. This particular signal, dubbed SHGb02+14a, was seen to be coming from between the Pisces and Aries constellation. There's no star or planetary system in that direction we know of yet in our galaxy, but perhaps there is something extremely distant.

The weak signal was seen to be drifting slightly in frequency, which some suggested was a sign the planet it was coming from (if it existed) was rotating. Others noted, however, that an advanced alien race would probably be able to correct for that. There's also the possibility this was simply a hoax signal, although the fact two users saw it separately makes that unlikely.

Again, like the other signals we've mentioned, this one remains unexplained. SETI, for its part, has played down the idea it may have been an alien civilisation. But with no repeat sightings, this one remains a mystery, for now.

“There's no star or planetary system in that direction we know of yet in our galaxy”