2016-09-18 11:21:30
The star called KIC 8463852, similar to the Sun, and located in the constellation Cygnus about 1,400 light-years from Earth, has been one of the strangest discoveries of the Kepler space telescope. This star aroused the amazement of astrophysicists because its luminosity changes erratically, without scientists being able to explain it. On March 5, 2011, its emission decreased by around 15%. Starting in February 2013, it surprised again with erratic and intense changes in luminosity that reached 22% at times.
Faced with this situation, astrophysicists are finding it difficult to postulate hypotheses that can explain these data. One of them maintains that the star is passing through a swarm of comets. However, the swarm would have to be of a magnitude beyond astronomical to account for such intense luminosity changes.
Of course, there is no shortage of hypotheses that attribute the changes in light to the activity of an advanced civilization. This civilization would be building or would have built a structure around the star to harness its energy. These structures even have a name: Dyson swarms, after the enlightened engineer who proposed them. The SETI program has already explored the electromagnetic emissions from this star and its surroundings to try to find out if there might be intelligent life trying to communicate with other intelligence, with negative results.
The latest observations made with Kepler have inspired another new hypothesis, more plausible than the previous ones, according to which the star is going through a cloud of gas and dust, with regions denser than others, which when placed in front of the star would block its light in an apparently erratic way. This hypothesis will require new observations at wavelengths other than the visible, such as infrared, which will be carried out in the near future. Pending the new data that they provide, for the moment astronomy is facing a unique star, different from any previously observed. It will be necessary to continue studying it to solve the challenge it poses.
More information on Jorge Laborda’s Blog: The strangest star in the galaxy
Referencia: Benjamin T. Montet and Joshua D. Simon KIC 8462852 faded through the Kepler mission.
Popular works by Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume I. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume II. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume III. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume IV. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume V. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume VI. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume VII. Jorge Laborda
Kilo of Science Volume VIII. Jorge Laborda
Chained circumstances. Ed.Lulu
One moon, one civilization. Why the Moon tells us that we are alone in the Universe
One Moon one civilization why the Moon tells us we are alone in the universe
The intelligence funnel and other essays
#Cienciaes.com #strangest #star #galaxy