KIC 8462852 Boyajian's Star Updated 03/03/2017

TL;DR

An update on Boyajian's Star reveals that the predicted dimming event on February 21st did not occur, adding to the mystery surrounding this peculiar star.

Transcript

This is an update in my continuing coverage of KIC 8462852 or Boyajian's star for March 3, 2017. For the back story on this fascinating star, see the other videos on my channel starting with my first update of April of last year. Boyajian's star remains as much of a mystery as it has always been with a host of new natural explanations on the table ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤩 Boyajian's star remains a mystery, with a range of natural explanations being considered, including interstellar dust clouds and irregularities with the star itself.
• 👽 The alien megastructure hypothesis is improbable due to the lack of evidence.
• 👾 Observations by the SWIFT space craft did not detect a dimming event on February 21st, 2017.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the alien megastructure hypothesis in relation to Boyajian's star?

The alien megastructure hypothesis suggests that Boyajian's star is surrounded by a massive structure built by an advanced alien civilization, but it is not considered likely due to the lack of supporting evidence.

Q: Why was it challenging to observe Boyajian's star on February 21st?

Boyajian's star was behind the sun at that time, making it difficult to observe from Earth. Additionally, unfavorable weather conditions hindered ground-based observations.

Q: What is the theory of stellar lifting?

Stellar lifting is a hypothetical technology that would enable a civilization to extract materials from their star. It was proposed as one possible explanation for Boyajian's star's peculiar behavior.

Q: What is the significance of Dr. Boyajian's loose prediction for the next dimming event?

Dr. Boyajian speculated that the next dimming event could occur within a window of several months before or after May of this year, which, if true, would suggest a periodic pattern. However, she acknowledged that this prediction might not come to fruition.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Boyajian's star, also known as KIC 8462852, remains an enigma with numerous natural explanations being considered, while the possibility of an alien megastructure still lingers.

• The theory of stellar lifting, a hypothetical technology that allows a civilization to harvest materials from their star, was proposed to explain the star's anomalies.

• The star was difficult to observe on February 21st, but the SWIFT space craft and Dr. Boyajian's team did not detect a dimming event.