KIC 8462852 Boyajian's Star Update March 19, 2018

TL;DR

Tabby's Star, known for its mysterious dimming events, is experiencing a significant dip in brightness, possibly caused by dust. Long-term dimming trend and the presence of a nearby red dwarf add to the mystery.

Transcript

This is an update in my continuing coverage of KIC 8462852 or Tabby’s Star for March 19, 2018. There hasn’t been much going on with this story due mainly to the star having been behind the sun for much of the winter and thus not observable. However, the observing season recently started and while the star appeared quiet and at near nominal brightne... Read More

Key Insights

• 🔅 Tabby's Star, also known as KIC 8462852, is currently experiencing a significant dip in brightness, possibly caused by dust.
• 🙂 The dips observed in the star's light curve have been consistent with the presence of dust rather than solid objects like alien megastructures.
• 🍉 The long-term dimming trend of Tabby's Star over the past century remains unexplained.
• ❓ The presence of a nearby red dwarf raises questions about the origin of the material blocking the light from the star.
• 😪 Research suggests that the red dwarf is not gravitationally bound to Tabby's Star.
• 🧑‍🌾 Historical photographic plates confirm that Tabby's Star had experienced deep dips in brightness as far back as 1922.
• 🍽️ The possibility of periodicity in the dimming events is suggested by the intervals between certain dips observed in both Kepler data and photographic plates.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the cause of the recent dip in brightness of Tabby's Star?

The current observations suggest that the dip in brightness is caused by dust, as it blocks certain frequencies more than others. This aligns with previous dimming events observed in the star.

Q: What is the long-term dimming trend of Tabby's Star, and why is it occurring?

Tabby's Star has been getting dimmer over the last century, but the cause remains unknown. Scientists are debating potential explanations for this long-term dimming trend.

Q: What is the significance of the nearby red dwarf in relation to Tabby's Star?

Recent research suggests that the red dwarf near Tabby's Star is not gravitationally bound to it. This finding has implications for the theory that the material blocking the light originated from the star's Oort cloud due to the red dwarf's disturbance.

Q: Are there any patterns or periodicity observed in the dimming events?

Some evidence points towards periodicity in the dimming events. In both Kepler data and photographic plates, there were dips separated by a 720-day period, suggesting the possibility of the same object passing in front of the star.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• KIC 8462852, also known as Tabby's Star, has been quiet due to its position behind the sun during the winter but has recently started showing a significant dip in brightness.

• Previous dimming events were believed to be caused by dust, and the current observations align with this explanation.

• The star's overall dimming trend over the past century remains unexplained, and the presence of a nearby red dwarf raises questions about the origin of the material blocking the light.