The Ohio Historical Markers identify, commemorate and honor the important people, places and events that have contributed to the state's rich history.
Completed in 1963, the former BIG EAR radio telescope designed by Dr. John D. Kraus, pioneering radio astronomer at Ohio State University had a collecting area of 340 by 70 feet. The Ohio Sky Survey recorded between 1965 and 1972 the most accurate, reliable, and complete mapping of cosmic radio signals (the "radio sky") for many years. BIG EAR gained fame for its ability to detect quasi-stellar radio sources, or "quasars," and for its discovery of some of the most distant objects known. This observatory conducted a 24-year continuous search for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence, during which the famous "Wow!" signal was received in 1977. BIG EAR was demolished in 1998.