The Big Ear
Encyclopedia
The Ohio State University Radio Observatory was a Kraus-type
radio telescope
located on the grounds of the Perkins Observatory
at Ohio Wesleyan University
from 1963 to 1998. Known as "Big Ear", the observatory was part of The Ohio State University
's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
(SETI) project. Construction of the Big Ear began in 1956 and was completed in 1961, and it was finally turned on for the first time in 1963.
The observatory completed the Ohio Sky Survey
in 1971, and from 1973–1995, Big Ear was used to search for extraterrestrial radio signals, making it the longest running SETI project in history. In 1977, the Big Ear received the noted Wow! signal
. The observatory was disassembled in 1998 when developers purchased the site from the university and used the land to expand a nearby golf course
. The design of the observatory is named after American physicist John D. Kraus
(1910–2004), and is also used as the basis for the Nançay Radio Telescope
.
, its first sky survey for extraterrestrial radio sources. In 1972, the United States Congress voted to stop funding the Ohio Sky Survey with support from the National Science Foundation
. Many people lost their jobs.
On August 15, 1977, the Big Ear recorded its greatest success when an interesting radio signal known as the Wow! signal
was received, named for the notation made by American astronomer Jerry R. Ehman
. No other such signal was recorded.
The observatory was parodied in bestselling game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
by the presence of a large radio telescope of the same name in the desert region. It is also mentioned as a tool used to detect alien radio signals in "Little Green Men", an episode of the X-Files.
Kraus-type
The Kraus-type radio telescope design was created by Dr. John D. Kraus .Kraus-type telescopes are transit instruments, where the flat primary reflects radio light towards the spherical secondary, which focuses it towards a mobile focal carriage...
radio telescope
Radio telescope
A radio telescope is a form of directional radio antenna used in radio astronomy. The same types of antennas are also used in tracking and collecting data from satellites and space probes...
located on the grounds of the Perkins Observatory
Perkins Observatory
Perkins Observatory is an astronomical observatory in Delaware, Ohio. It is owned and operated by Ohio Wesleyan University.-Early history:The observatory is named for Hiram Perkins, a professor of mathematics and astronomy at the Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio from 1857 to 1907...
at Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1842 by Methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five — a consortium of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
from 1963 to 1998. Known as "Big Ear", the observatory was part of The Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
's Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
SETI
The search for extraterrestrial intelligence is the collective name for a number of activities people undertake to search for intelligent extraterrestrial life. Some of the most well known projects are run by the SETI Institute. SETI projects use scientific methods to search for intelligent life...
(SETI) project. Construction of the Big Ear began in 1956 and was completed in 1961, and it was finally turned on for the first time in 1963.
The observatory completed the Ohio Sky Survey
Ohio Sky Survey
The Ohio Sky Survey was an astronomical survey of extragalactic radio sources. Data were taken between 1965 and 1971 using the Big Ear radio telescope at the Ohio State University Radio Observatory , also known as the "Big Ear Radio Observatory "....
in 1971, and from 1973–1995, Big Ear was used to search for extraterrestrial radio signals, making it the longest running SETI project in history. In 1977, the Big Ear received the noted Wow! signal
Wow! signal
The Wow! signal was a strong narrowband radio signal detected by Dr. Jerry R. Ehman on August 15, 1977, while working on a SETI project at the Big Ear radio telescope of The Ohio State University then located at Ohio Wesleyan University's Perkins Observatory, Delaware, Ohio. The signal bore...
. The observatory was disassembled in 1998 when developers purchased the site from the university and used the land to expand a nearby golf course
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
. The design of the observatory is named after American physicist John D. Kraus
John D. Kraus
John Daniel Kraus was an American physicist known for his contributions to electromagnetics, radio astronomy, and antenna theory. His inventions included the helical antenna, the corner reflector, and several other types of antennas...
(1910–2004), and is also used as the basis for the Nançay Radio Telescope
Nançay Radio Telescope
The Nançay Decimetric Radio Telescope is located in the small commune of Nançay, two hours' drive south of Paris, France. The radio telescope saw first light in 1965, after an inauguration by the then French president, Charles de Gaulle. It is one of the largest radio telescopes in the world...
.
Big Ear
From 1965–1971, the Big Ear was used to map wideband radio sources for the Ohio Sky SurveyOhio Sky Survey
The Ohio Sky Survey was an astronomical survey of extragalactic radio sources. Data were taken between 1965 and 1971 using the Big Ear radio telescope at the Ohio State University Radio Observatory , also known as the "Big Ear Radio Observatory "....
, its first sky survey for extraterrestrial radio sources. In 1972, the United States Congress voted to stop funding the Ohio Sky Survey with support from the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
. Many people lost their jobs.
On August 15, 1977, the Big Ear recorded its greatest success when an interesting radio signal known as the Wow! signal
Wow! signal
The Wow! signal was a strong narrowband radio signal detected by Dr. Jerry R. Ehman on August 15, 1977, while working on a SETI project at the Big Ear radio telescope of The Ohio State University then located at Ohio Wesleyan University's Perkins Observatory, Delaware, Ohio. The signal bore...
was received, named for the notation made by American astronomer Jerry R. Ehman
Jerry R. Ehman
Jerry R. Ehman is an American astronomer. He detected the strong narrowband radio signal known as Wow! signal on August 15, 1977 while working on a SETI project at the Big Ear radio telescope of Ohio State University.-Biography:...
. No other such signal was recorded.
Cultural references
The Big Ear was listed in the 1995 Guinness Book of World Records under the category of "Longest Extraterrestrial Search":
The longest-running full-scale SETI (search for extraterrestrial intelligence) project is the Ohio SETI Program at Ohio State University in Columbus, OH, which has searched the universe for extraterrestrial radio signals for 22 years, beginning in 1973.
The observatory was parodied in bestselling game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
by the presence of a large radio telescope of the same name in the desert region. It is also mentioned as a tool used to detect alien radio signals in "Little Green Men", an episode of the X-Files.
External links
- The Big Ear Memorial Site
- Big Ear Inventor John Kraus Dies
- Video presentation and tour of "Big Ear": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg5i0JyYtwE, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_vKl1vwg_A, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FwiLpwcenI