The 'Weird!' Signal from Ross 128
In 2017, the great radio telescope at Arecibo picked up strange signals from a nearby star. The astronomers called them simply 'Weird!'.
What was reported
In May 2017, astronomers using the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico were studying red dwarf stars when they recorded unusual, regular radio signals that seemed to come from the direction of Ross 128, a small star about 11 light years away.
Abel Méndez, who led the study, posted about the 'Weird!' signals, and the news spread around the world with speculation about alien transmissions. The team appealed for help from other observatories.
Explanations offered
Follow-up observations showed the signals most likely came from geostationary satellites, which sat close to the star's position in the sky. The episode showed how astronomers check unusual signals. The Arecibo telescope collapsed in 2020.
- When
- May 2017
- Where
- Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico
- Witnesses
- Astronomers at Arecibo
- Status
- Explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.