Description: On August 15, 1977, the "Big Ear" radio telescope at the Ohio State University Radio Observatory located in Delaware County detected a highly unusual signal whose source has never been identified, raising the possibility that the signal may be the first record of contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. The so-called "Wow!" signal received its name from the note Dr. Jerry Ehman wrote in the margin of this computer printout. This strange signal, unique in radio astronomy history, has never been recorded again. NAAPO, the North American Astrophysical Observatory, was chartered in 1983 as a non-profit organization originally formed to save, maintain and operate the Ohio State University Radio Observatory's (OSURO) 110-meter "Big Ear" radio telescope, Ohio's only world class radio telescope. A consortium of local colleges and a group of volunteers worked together under the NAAPO charter. Ohio Wesleyan University owned the land on which the "Big Ear" stood and sold it to land developers in 1982. OSU constructed the "Big Ear" beginning in 1956 on OWU land. They operated the radio telescope research for nearly 40 years. The developers leased the land to NAAPO from 1983 through 1997 so they could continue to operate the telescope. In 1998 the "Big Ear" radio telescope was destroyed by the developers and some of the equipment and most of the records were moved to the West Campus of the Ohio State University, in Columbus, Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07146
Subjects: Astronomical observatories; Life on other planets; Science and Technology; Ohio State University--History; Telescopes
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Delaware County (Ohio)
 

Description: Reverse reads: "Campus, Denison University; Swasey Chapel and Swasey Observatory in background." This is a photograph depicting a scene of the Denison University campus in Granville, Ohio. The Swasey Chapel and Observatory are seen in the background. The Swasey Chapel and Observatory were named after Cleveland trustee and amateur astronomer Ambrose Swasey, the founder of the Warner and Swasey Company which built the observatory. Swasey Chapel was built in 1924 and was the first building designed for the 1917 plan for Greater Denison. Swasey funded the project and the chimes in the chapel tower are a memorial for his wife. Today the chapel is used for religious service. The Swasey observatory was built in 1909. Within the observatory are 3 telescopes used for astrophotography. It also houses an astronomy library and dark rooms. It was built using Vermont marble. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B13F08_013_001
Subjects: Education; Universities and colleges; Buildings; Chapels; Science and technology; Astronomical observatories; Telescopes; Denison University; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project.
Places: Granville (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)
 

Description: Man looks through a telescope into a starry night. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F04_015
Subjects: Astronomical telescopes; Solar telescopes; Telescopes--History;
Places: Ohio
 

Description: The Swasey observatory was built in 1909. Within the observatory are 3 telescopes used for astrophotography. It also houses an astronomy library and dark rooms. It was built using Vermont marble. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B05F02_041_1
Subjects: Education; Universities and colleges; Science and technology; Astronomical observatories; Telescopes; Denison University; College campuses; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Granville (Ohio); Licking County (Ohio)