KIC 8462852 Alien Megastructure Star Update 4/10/16

TL;DR

Tabby's Star, also known as KIC 8462852, has sparked excitement and speculation due to its unusual light curve, suggesting the possibility of alien megastructures blocking the star's light.

Transcript

Much ado was made at the end of 2015 over a strange star known as KIC 8462852 or "Tabby's Star" after Dr. Tabitha Boyajian, one of the scientists investigating it. The mystery began when a group of citizen scientists known as "The Planet Hunters" were looking at light curves taken by the Kepler spacecraft in 2011. Within these light curves, the pla... Read More

Key Insights

• 👽 Tabby's Star, or KIC 8462852, has puzzled scientists due to its unique and unprecedented dimming events that indicate the presence of large objects or alien megastructures.
• ☄️ The most plausible explanation initially proposed was a swarm of comets causing the dimming, although this does not entirely fit the observations.
• 👽 Recent findings, such as a century-long dimming trend and the observation of an isosceles triangle dip, have intensified the mystery and fueled speculation about the possibility of alien activity.
• 🤩 The potential existence of Dyson spheres or swarms indicates that advanced civilizations may harness solar energy from their stars.
• 👽 The evidence gathered so far does not conclusively prove the presence of alien megastructures, but the search for a natural explanation continues.
• 🕵️ Detecting signals from extraterrestrial civilizations is challenging due to the vast distances involved.
• 🤳 The rapid construction of megastructures would require advanced technology, such as self-replicating nanobots or nanotechnology.

Questions & Answers

Q: What was discovered about Tabby's Star that made it so intriguing?

The light curve of Tabby's Star showed massive, multi-day dimming events that could not be explained by known natural phenomena. The possibility of gigantic alien megastructures blocking the star's light was proposed.

Q: What is a Dyson sphere, and how does it relate to the alien megastructure hypothesis?

A Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure built by an advanced civilization to harvest solar energy from their star. It aligns with the idea that an alien civilization may be constructing megastructures like a Dyson swarm around Tabby's Star.

Q: Has any evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations been found around Tabby's Star?

No direct evidence of extraterrestrial civilizations has been found. Radio astronomers searched for radio and laser emissions from the star with no success, but the vast distances make it unlikely for us to detect such signals.

Q: What recent developments have deepened the mystery surrounding Tabby's Star?

Dr. Bradley Schaefer discovered that the star has been dimming overall for over a century, which is unusually short for this type of star. Additionally, the observation of a single large dip resembling a perfect isosceles triangle raises questions about its origin.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In 2011, citizen scientists discovered strange and unprecedented dips in brightness of Tabby's Star (KIC 8462852) using Kepler spacecraft data, suggesting the presence of large objects or swarms blocking up to 22% of the star's light.

• Initially, scientists proposed that a swarm of comets breaking up may be responsible for the dimming. However, the explanation is not entirely satisfactory.

• Recent developments include the discovery of a century-long dimming trend in Tabby's Star and the observation of a single large dip that resembles a giant isosceles triangle passing in front of the star.