A New Tabby’s Star? VVV-WIT-07 Update for 11/24/18

TL;DR

The discovery of VVV-WIT-07, a star with significant drops in brightness, raises questions about its nature and potential causes.

Transcript

In 2015 a very strange star known as KIC 8462852, also dubbed Tabby’s Star, made the headlines as it presented mysterious features in its light curve that wasn’t particularly consistent with anything that had been seen before. While it has always been overwhelmingly likely that the explanation for KIC 8462852 was some natural phenomenon that we sim... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤩 The discovery of VVV-WIT-07, a star with intense drops in brightness, brings to mind the intriguing case of Tabby's Star.
• 🙂 Both stars challenge scientists to explain the unusual behavior in their light curves, with dust and solid objects considered as potential causes.
• 🪐 The depth of VVV-WIT-07's dips suggests a phenomenon similar to that seen in J1407, a star with an extensive ring system around an orbiting planet.
• 🤨 However, the dusty environment around VVV-WIT-07 raises the possibility of interstellar dust being responsible for the dips.
• 🤩 The complexity of understanding these stars highlights the need for better instrumentation and longer-term observations in astronomy.
• 🛟 Ongoing SETI efforts and the study of exoplanet atmospheres may eventually provide insights into the existence of extraterrestrial life.
• 💩 John Michael Godier, a futurist and science fiction author, looks forward to hitting 100,000 subscribers and shares a link to an interesting interview he recently did.

Questions & Answers

Q: What sparked interest in the study of KIC 8462852 (Tabby's Star)?

Tabby's Star gained attention due to its irregular light curve, which some suggested could be attributed to alien megastructures.

Q: What have recent studies revealed about Tabby's Star's light dips?

Further analysis suggests that the dips in Tabby's Star are likely caused by dust rather than solid objects like alien megastructures, although mysteries still surround its behavior.

Q: How does VVV-WIT-07 compare to Tabby's Star?

VVV-WIT-07 exhibits significantly deeper drops in brightness, up to 80%, compared to Tabby's Star's maximum dip of 22%.

Q: What could be causing the dips seen in VVV-WIT-07's light curve?

Possible explanations for VVV-WIT-07's dips include the presence of cold interstellar dust or variability within the star itself, although more research is needed for conclusive answers.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In 2015, the discovery of the strange star KIC 8462852, also known as Tabby's Star, sparked speculation about potential alien megastructures causing its irregular light curve.

• Recent observations of VVV-WIT-07, a new star, show similar dips in brightness, raising the possibility of dust or other unknown factors causing the phenomena.

• While Tabby's Star is believed to have a unique explanation involving an expansive ring system around an orbiting planet, the exact cause of the dips seen in VVV-WIT-07 remains uncertain.