1933: Radio Signals From Sagittarius [Historical Corner]

This issue’s “Historical Corner” column is about the first ever detection of radio signals of extraterrestrial origin. It is focused on the Holmdel measurement campaign in the 1930s, highlighting the technological background leading to Jansky’s detection of that hiss-type signal being celebrated as the birth of radio astronomy. What would have been a detailed report of a successful experiment on the characterization of thunderstorm static, it has the flavor of a happy-ending fairytale chapter of a book on a branch of science whose writing is in continuous progress.