KIC 8462852 Update for 05/24/2017 | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

New research papers propose separate causes for the short-term deep dips and the long-term dimming trend at KSC 8462852, suggesting a ringed planet and Trojan asteroids or a ringed object in our own solar system as potential explanations.

Key Insights

• 🔅 The recent dimming event at KSC 8462852 has concluded, and data analysis is underway.
• 🍉 Short-term deep dips and the long-term dimming trend are two separate phenomena.
• 🪐 The first research paper proposes the presence of a ringed planet and Trojan asteroids as explanations for the dips.
• 😋 The second research paper suggests a ringed object in our own solar system as a potential cause for the dimming.
• 🪐 The amount of asteroid material required for the ringed planet theory is a point of uncertainty.
• 🍉 The existence of the long-term dimming trend at KSC 8462852 is further supported.
• 👨‍🔬 Dr. Riot offers his perspective on the research papers on his blog, providing additional insights.

Transcript

hello everybody this is another informal update on KSC eight four six two eight five two four May 24th 2017 this is intended to give links to relevant information for people that wish to follow the story the recent dimming event has concluded and from what I understand the data is being processed and worked on but there is not yet much information ... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: What are the two strange phenomena observed at KSC 8462852?

The two phenomena are short-term deep dips and a long-term dimming trend. These events are unrelated, and it remains unclear how they are connected.

Q: What does the first research paper propose as an explanation for the short-term dips?

The paper suggests the presence of a ringed planet causing the short-term dips, with groups of Trojan asteroids contributing to the remaining dips.

Q: Is the amount of asteroid material required to block the star's light a potential issue with the ringed planet theory?

Yes, the sheer amount of asteroid material needed to produce that much dimming is a concern. However, the exact quantity required is still unknown.

Q: What does the second research paper propose as an explanation for the material blocking the star?

The second paper suggests that the material blocking the star is within our own solar system, specifically a ringed object in a distant orbit of the Sun.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The recent dimming event at KSC 8462852 has concluded, but there is limited information about the data collected by Dr. Pelagian and her colleagues.

• Two strange phenomena are observed at the star: short-term deep dips and the long-term dimming trend identified by Bradley Schaefer. It is unclear how these two are related.

• A new research paper suggests the possibility of a ringed planet causing the short-term dips, while groups of Trojan asteroids may account for the rest of the dips.