KIC 8462852, also known as WTF star (no, I did not make that up) is an F-type main-sequence star, which, in layman's terms, refers to stars within 1.0-1.4 solar masses (mass of the sun). It is located in the constellation Cygnus roughly 1276.6 light years away. However, something unconventional about the star's light curves intrigued astronomers from around the globe.
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| The star as viewed in infrared and ultraviolet light, respectively |
Scientists discovered unusual fluctuations in luminosity (brightness) of the star and in September 2015 astronomers and other researchers published a paper containing possible explanations and other related data.
The graph above, which may be somewhat difficult to understand initially to some, can be explained in simple terms. The x-axis of the graph represents time whereas the y-axis refers to luminous flux (that is, quite simply it's brightness). Evidently, there is a big dip at one point in the graph, which demonstrates the aforementioned unusual fluctuations.
The paper published in 2015 stated various explanations with respect to the light from the star dimming irregularly. Some of the explanations are mentioned below :
KIC 8462852 is a young star with coalescing material - Astronomer Jason Wright proposed that KIC 8462852 is a much younger star than previously thought which may result in coalescing material around it. However, a subsequent study spectroscopic study of the star using the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility proved showed no proof of coalescing material within a few astronomical units of it.
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| Artist's rendition of a star with coalescing material surrounding it |
An artificial megastructure - Now this is quite an interesting theory. Astronomer Jason Wright as well as other scientists who studied Tabby's star proposed that the star could be surrounded by parts of a megastructure made by an extraterrestrial race, such as a Dyson swarm. A Dyson swarm is a hypothetical structure that surrounds a star and can use it's light for energy resources. A civilisation that could do this would be a Type 2 on the Kardashev scale (humans are yet to attain type 1 status). However, according to Wright, the possibility of this is quite low but nevertheless is yet to be disproven.
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| Artist's concept of a Dyson swarm |
Consumption of a planet - Recently, a team of scientists from University of California, Berkeley and Columbia University proposed that KIC 8462852 may have swallowed a planet (much like the Sun will Earth and other planets) which may have led to periodical changes in it's luminosity stemming from the release of gravitational energy. Debris from the planet(s) would therefore explain the partial dimming of the star.
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