20 Unexplained Signals from Space That Scientists Are Still Studying
Space whispers to us through waves, pulses, and patterns that often leave our brightest minds scratching their heads. For years, astronomers have picked up bizarre transmissions from the cosmos that resist simple explanation, fueling both scientific inquiry and our deep fascination with what might exist beyond our understanding.
Here is a list of unexplained signals from space that continue to baffle researchers today, each potentially holding the key to revolutionary discoveries about our universe.
The Wow! Signal
Back in 1977, astronomer Jerry Ehman spotted something extraordinary — a signal so powerful and unusual that he couldn’t help but grab his pen and scribble “Wow!” beside the data printout. Lasting just 72 seconds, this narrowband radio blast picked up by Ohio State’s Big Ear telescope has never reappeared despite countless follow-up observations.
It’s become astronomy’s equivalent of a cosmic one-hit wonder.
Fast Radio Bursts
Scientists didn’t know what to make of it when they first detected these in 2007 — millisecond-long radio blasts packing decades’ worth of solar energy. What’s truly weird about Fast Radio Bursts isn’t just their intensity but their unpredictable behavior; some repeat at irregular intervals while others flash once, never to be heard from again.
We’ve traced many FRBs to distant galaxies, though what cosmic events could trigger such powerful bursts remains anybody’s guess.
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The Black Knight Satellite
Since the ’60s, odd radar returns and unexplained signals have fueled stories about something called the “Black Knight Satellite” lurking in Earth orbit. Space agencies have occasionally photographed mysterious objects that don’t match known satellites — triggering speculation about ancient artificial satellites.
Though most astronomers dismiss these sightings as space junk caught at strange angles, the persistence of these observations keeps the mystery alive for many space enthusiasts.
The Lorimer Burst
Duncan Lorimer wasn’t looking for anything new when digging through archived data from Australia’s Parkes Observatory in 2007 — yet he stumbled upon something revolutionary. The incredibly bright radio burst he discovered seemed to originate from beyond our galaxy — implying a source of almost unimaginable power.
This detection — later dubbed the first recognized Fast Radio Burst — opened the floodgates to an entirely new field of astronomical research.
The SETI Candidate Signal SHGb02+14a
SETI researchers perked up in 2004 when their distributed computing project detected something that ticked several boxes for potential alien communication. The signal — officially designated SHGb02+14a — changed frequency exactly as you’d expect from a transmitter on a rotating planet.
Despite generating significant excitement, repeated attempts to detect it again have failed — making it either a tantalizing might-have-been or a cosmic false alarm.
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Przybylski’s Star
This isn’t your average stellar oddity — it’s in a league of its own. Discovered in the 1960s, spectral analysis of this star reveals elements that simply shouldn’t exist naturally in stellar atmospheres — including short-lived radioactive materials and ultra-rare earth elements.
Some astronomers have suggested these bizarre chemical signatures might indicate artificial manipulation — making Przybylski’s Star an ongoing target in the search for advanced extraterrestrial technology.
Tabby’s Star
KIC 8462852 — nicknamed after discoverer Tabetha Boyajian — displays light fluctuations that have left astronomers genuinely baffled. The star occasionally dims by a whopping 22% — far beyond what planets could cause when transiting its face.
Explanations range from mundane (massive comet swarms) to mind-bending (alien megastructures) — yet despite years of observation, we still can’t fully account for these dramatic brightness variations.
The Oumuamua Trajectory Anomaly
Our solar system got its first confirmed interstellar visitor in 2017 — a strange, elongated object that behaved in ways that defied prediction. ‘Oumuamua exhibited unexpected acceleration as it headed back to interstellar space — a movement that gravity alone couldn’t explain.
This anomaly prompted Harvard’s Avi Loeb to controversially suggest artificial origins, while other scientists lean toward hydrogen outgassing invisible from Earth — a debate that continues to divide the astronomical community.
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The Great Attractor
Something massive is pulling our galaxy — and thousands of others — toward a specific region of space at more than 600 kilometers per second. Dubbed “The Great Attractor,” this gravitational anomaly sits frustratingly behind the plane of our own Milky Way — essentially hiding behind a cosmic curtain that makes direct observation nearly impossible.
While likely a supercluster of galaxies, its precise nature remains elusive due to this cosmic blind spot.
The ULQ Radio Signal
In 2018, a signal with uncanny precision emerged from the galactic center — activating for half-hour stretches before falling silent for exactly 1,167 seconds each time. This ultra-long period of radio emission’s clockwork regularity has astronomers puzzled — natural phenomena rarely display such mathematical precision.
Researchers continue monitoring this cosmic timekeeper, hoping to determine whether it’s an exotic natural process or something more extraordinary.
The Repeating Mars Signal
NASA’s Mars Global Surveyor detected an odd radio pattern in the early 2000s that seemed to follow a precise 24-hour cycle. Scientists quickly ruled out random interference due to the signal’s persistence and regularity, yet couldn’t connect it to any known Mars mission or natural phenomenon.
Some researchers proposed it might originate from a forgotten Soviet Mars probe, but no conclusive explanation has emerged despite years of analysis.
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The Ghost Radio Circle
Astronomers in 2020 found themselves staring at massive circular radio structures that somehow eluded previous surveys despite spanning millions of light-years. These “Odd Radio Circles” or ORCs align with no known cosmic formations in their regions of space.
Current theories range from shockwaves from massive galaxy mergers to more exotic possibilities like wormhole apertures, but their true nature continues to challenge our understanding of cosmic structures.
The Fermi Bubbles
When NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope detected two enormous energy bubbles extending 25,000 light-years above and below our galaxy’s center, astronomers were stunned. These structures emit distinctive gamma rays and radio waves suggesting they formed from a colossal energy release from our galaxy’s central supermassive black hole millions of years ago.
However, the specific mechanism creating these enduring signals doesn’t quite fit existing astrophysical models.
The Pioneer Anomaly
Both Pioneer spacecraft experienced something peculiar as they journeyed through the outer solar system – an unexplained slowing down that couldn’t be accounted for by known physics. This subtle deceleration created distinctive patterns in their radio transmissions that puzzled scientists for decades.
While thermal radiation pressure is now the leading explanation, some researchers continue to explore whether deeper gravitational effects might be at work.
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The Hessdalen Lights
Since the 1940s, Norway’s Hessdalen Valley has been home to unusual aerial light phenomena that generate distinctive radar signatures and electromagnetic signals. These glowing orbs float silently above the ground, change colors, and sometimes persist for hours.
Scientific monitoring stations have documented these events extensively but cannot fully explain their origin. Theories range from combusting mineral gases to more exotic plasma phenomena created by the valley’s unique geological conditions.
The Marconi Anomaly
Radio pioneer Guglielmo Marconi claimed in 1921 to have detected unusual signals that he believed might have originated from Mars. Using the most sensitive equipment available at the time, he recorded consistent patterns unlike typical radio interference of the era.
Modern scientists typically attribute these signals to natural ionospheric effects or human activities, but the precision and consistency Marconi documented continue to intrigue researchers studying historical astronomical observations.
The BLC1 Signal
The Breakthrough Listen project detected a narrow-band signal apparently coming from Proxima Centauri in 2019, setting the scientific community abuzz. This signal, named BLC1, persisted for hours and appeared to shift in frequency consistently with a transmitter on a rotating planet.
After intensive analysis, researchers determined it was likely terrestrial interference, but the investigation established crucial protocols for evaluating future candidate signals.
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The Saturn Hexagon Radio Emissions
Saturn’s north pole features something that shouldn’t exist according to standard atmospheric physics – a perfect hexagonal cloud pattern that emits unusual radio signals with precise geometric properties. NASA’s Cassini mission recorded these emissions over several years, revealing complex patterns that challenge our understanding of planetary atmospheres.
The mathematical perfection of this hexagon and its associated electromagnetic signatures remain an ongoing planetary science mystery.
The Dyatlov Radio Anomaly
A Siberian radio telescope in 2019 picked up a narrowband signal that changed frequency in a pattern matching the Fibonacci sequence – a mathematical pattern commonly found throughout nature. This signal originated from a region with no known stellar objects capable of generating such emissions.
The presence of structured mathematical patterns in cosmic signals is particularly intriguing to SETI researchers, as they could indicate intelligent origin.
The Cosmic Microwave Background Cold Spot
When mapping the radiation leftover from the Big Bang, cosmologists found something that shouldn’t be there – an abnormally large cold region in the cosmic microwave background. This “Cold Spot” is substantially cooler than surrounding areas and much larger than standard cosmological models allow.
Explanations range from a supervoid in space to evidence of a collision with another universe, making it potentially one of the most profound mysteries in modern cosmology.
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Signals That Spark Wonder
These cosmic mysteries represent the universe communicating through light, radio waves, and gravitational effects – a celestial conversation we’re still learning to interpret. Some signals will eventually find mundane explanations, while others might fundamentally transform our understanding of physics and our place in the cosmos.
As technology advances and our methods become more sophisticated, these unexplained transmissions remind us that space exploration remains a field where genuine discovery awaits – where each puzzling signal might contain the seeds of revolutionary insight into the vast, mysterious universe that surrounds us.
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