KIC 8462852 Alien Megastructure Star Update 10/06/2016

TL;DR

Scientists are still unsure about the cause of the dimming events at Tabby's star, but new theories suggest natural explanations such as a debris disk or disintegrating comets.

Transcript

This is another installment in my continuing coverage of KIC 8462852 or Tabby's star, easily the strangest star we've yet come across in our universe. Since my last update, a number of scientific papers have been published that offer a new group of potential explanations for the dimming phenomena, but the possibility of alien megastructures causing... Read More

Key Insights

• 🍉 There are two phenomena at Tabby's star: major short-term dimming events and a long-term dimming trend over a century.
• 👶 The long-term dimming trend was initially disputed but seems to be confirmed by new data from Kepler.
• 👶 New theories suggest natural explanations such as a debris disk or disintegrating comets for the dimming events.
• 👽 The possibility of alien megastructures causing the dimming events is still on the table, but highly unlikely.
• 🤩 More observations of Tabby's star are needed to provide further insights into the cause of the dimming events.
• 😶‍🌫️ The lack of infrared emissions supports the theory of a cold cloud or disc of debris causing the dimming.
• 👷 The rapid construction implied by the megastructure theory contradicts the findings of the long-term dimming trend.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the two phenomena observed at Tabby's star?

The first is major short-term dimming events, while the second is a long-term dimming trend over a century.

Q: What caused the dispute between scientists regarding the long-term dimming trend?

Michael Hippke questioned Bradley Schaeffer's methodology in detecting the trend, and other scientists also called the trend into question. However, new data from Kepler seems to support the existence of the trend.

Q: What is the theory put forth by Valeri Makarov?

Makarov suggests that the dimming events are caused by a debris disk passing in front of Tabby's star, which is not actually related to the star itself.

Q: What does the lack of infrared emissions suggest about the cause of the dimming events at Tabby's star?

It suggests that the dimming events may be caused by a cold cloud of debris or a disc of debris orbiting the star.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Scientists have discovered two phenomena at Tabby's star: major short-term dimming events and a long-term dimming trend over a century.

• The long-term dimming trend was initially questioned, but new data from Kepler seems to confirm its existence.

• Several theories have emerged to explain the short-term dips, including a debris disk passing in front of the star or a cloud of disintegrating comets.