Luminosity[edit]

Observations of the luminosity of the star by the Kepler space telescope show
small, frequent, non-periodic dips in brightness, along with two large
recorded dips in brightness appearing[clarification needed] to occur roughly
750 days apart. The amplitude of the changes in the star's brightness, and
the aperiodicity of the changes, mean that this star is of particular interest for
astronomers.[13] The star's changes in brightness are consistent with many
small masses orbiting the star in "tight formation".[6]

The first major dip, on 5 March 2011, obscured the star's brightness by up to
15%, and the other (on 28 February 2013) by up to 22%. In comparison, a
planet the size of Jupiter would only obscure a star of this size by 1%,
indicating that whatever is blocking light during the star's major dips is not a
planet, but rather something covering up to half the width of the star.[13]
Due to the failure of two of Kepler's reaction wheels, the star's predicted 750-
day dip around February 2015 was not recorded;[1][12] further observations
are planned for May 2017.[12] The irregular light dips do not show a pattern.
[38]

In addition to the day-long dimmings, a study of a century's worth of

photographic plates suggests that the star has gradually faded from 1890 to
1989 by about 20%, which would be unprecedented for any F-type main
sequence star.[29][30] However, teasing accurate magnitudes from long-term
photographic archives is a complex procedure, requiring adjustment for
equipment changes, and is strongly dependent on the choice of comparison
stars. A contrasting[clarification needed] study, examining the same
photographic plates, concluded that the possible century-long dimming was
likely a data artifact, and not a real astrophysical event.[31]

A third study, using light measurements by the Kepler observatory over a

four-year period, determined that KIC 8462852 dimmed at about 0.34% per
year before dimming more rapidly by about 2.5% in 200 days. It then
returned to its previous slow fade rate. The same technique was used to
study 193 stars in its vicinity and 355 stars similar in size and composition to
KIC 8462852. None of these stars exhibited such dimming.[39]

Kepler light curves[edit]

All of the light curve data recorded of KIC 8462852 from 5 March 2011 to 17
April 2013.

5 March 2011 (Day 792 of Kepler observations)

28 February 2013 (Day 1519 of Kepler observations)

17 April 2013 (Day 1568 of Kepler observations)

Hypotheses[edit]

Based on KIC 8462852's spectrum and stellar type, its changes in brightness
could not be attributed to intrinsic variability;[1] while a few hypotheses have
been proposed involving material orbiting the star and blocking its light, none
of these fully fit the observed data.

Some of the proposed explanations involve instrument or data artifacts,

interstellar dust, a series of giant planets with very large ring structures,[40]
[41] a recently captured asteroid field,[1] the system undergoing Late Heavy
Bombardment,[8][42] and an artificial megastructure orbiting the star.[43]

Younger star with coalescing material around it[edit]

Artist's impression of a young star with coalescing material around it

Astronomer Jason Wright (who was consulted by Boyajian)[24][44] and others

who have studied KIC 8462852 have suggested in a follow-up paper that if
the star is younger than its position and speed would suggest, then it may
still have coalescing material around it.[21]
A 0.84.2 micron spectroscopic study of the system using the NASA Infrared
Telescope Facility (NASA IRTF) found no evidence for coalescing material
within a few astronomical units of the mature central star.[8][42]

Planetary debris field[edit]

Artist's impression of a massive collision with a proto-planet

High-resolution spectroscopy and imaging observations have also been

made, as well as spectral energy distribution analyses using the Nordic
Optical Telescope in Spain.[1][40] A massive collision scenario would create
warm dust that glows in infrared wavelengths, but there is no observed
excess infrared energy, ruling out massive planetary collision debris.[13]
Other researchers think the planetary debris field explanation is unlikely,
given the very low probability that Kepler would ever witness such an event
due to the rarity of collisions of such size.[1]

As with the possibility of coalescing material around the star, spectroscopic

studies using the NASA IRTF found no evidence for hot close-in dust or
circumstellar matter from an evaporating or exploding planet within a few
astronomical units of the central star.[8][42] Similarly, a study of past infrared
data from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope and Wide-field Infrared Survey
Explorer found no evidence for an excess of infrared emission from the star,
which would have been an indicator of warm dust grains that could have
come from catastrophic collisions of meteors or planets in the system. This
absence of emission supports the hypothesis that a swarm of cold comets on
an unusually eccentric orbit could be responsible for the star's unique light
curve, but more studies are needed.[8][4]

A cloud of disintegrating comets[edit]

Artist's impression of an orbiting swarm of dusty comet fragments

One proposed explanation for the reduction in light is that it is due to a cloud
of disintegrating comets orbiting the star elliptically.[1][8][10][45] This
scenario would assume that KIC 8462852's planetary system has something
similar to the Oort cloud and that gravity from a nearby star caused comets
from said cloud to fall closer into system, thereby obstructing KIC 8462852's
spectra. Evidence supporting this hypothesis includes an M-type red dwarf
within 132 billion kilometers (885 AU) of KIC 8462852.[1] However, the notion
that disturbed comets from such a cloud could exist in high enough numbers
to obscure 22% of the star's observed luminosity has been doubted.[13]

Submillimetre wavelength observations searching for farther-out cold dust in

an asteroid belt akin to the Sun's Kuiper Belt suggest that a distant
"catastrophic" planetary disruption explanation is unlikely; the possibility of a
disrupted asteroid belt scattering comets into the inner system is still to be
determined.[46]

An artificial megastructure[edit]

Artist's impression of a Dyson swarm

Astronomer Jason Wright[24][44] and others who have studied KIC 8462852
hypothesized that the objects eclipsing the star could be parts of a
megastructure made by an alien civilization, such as a Dyson swarm,[6][21]
[43][45][47][48] a hypothetical structure that an advanced civilization might
build around a star to intercept some of its light for their energy needs.[49]
[50][51] Due to extensive media coverage on this matter, KIC 8462852 has
been compared by Kepler's Steve Howell with KIC 4150611,[52] another star
with an odd light curve (which proved, after years of research, to be a part of
a five-star system).[53] Regarding the current light curve data of KIC
8462852, Wright has emphasized the importance of upcoming spectral
studies.[54] According to Wright, the likelihood of extra-terrestrial intelligence
being the cause of the dimming is very low; however, the star remains an
outstanding SETI target because natural explanations have yet to fully
explain the dimming phenomenon.[21][43]

Consumption of a planet[edit]

In December 2016 a team from Columbia University and University of

California, Berkeley, proposed that KIC 8462852 swallowed a planet causing a
temporary and unobserved increase in brightness due to the release of
gravitational energy. Planetary debris still in orbit of the star would then
explain its observed drops in intensity.[55]
Follow-up studies[edit]

Many optical telescopes are monitoring KIC 8462852 in anticipation of

another multi-day dimming event, with planned follow-up observations of a
dimming event using large telescopes equipped with spectrographs to
determine if the eclipsing mass is a solid object, or if composed of dust or
gas.[56] Additional follow-up observations may involve the ground-based
Green Bank Telescope, the Very Large Array Radio Telescope,[40][57] and
future orbital telescopes dedicated to exoplanetology such as WFIRST, TESS,
and PLATO.[43][51]

A fund-raising campaign was led by Tabetha Boyajian, the author of the initial
study on KIC 8462852's anomalous light curve. The project proposes to use
the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network to continue
observation of the star in the future and observe it in additional wavelengths
to reveal new details on the composition of the objects obfuscating the star.
The campaign raised over US$100,000, enough for one year of observations.
[58]

SETI results[edit]

In October 2015, the SETI Institute used the Allen Telescope Array to look for
radio emissions from possible intelligent extraterrestrial life in the vicinity of
the star.[59][60] After an initial two-week survey, the SETI Institute reported
that it found no evidence of technology-related radio signals from the star
system.[14][15][16] No narrowband radio signals were found at a level of
180300 Jy in a 1 Hz channel, or medium-band signals above 10 Jy in a 100
kHz channel.[15] Another SETI-related study, one using archival VERITAS
gamma-ray observatory observations from 2009 to 2015, found no evidence
of pulsed optical beacons associated with KIC 8462852.[61]

Astronomer Jason Wright and his colleagues plan to conduct another search
beginning in October 2016 using West Virginia's Green Bank Telescope.[62]
[63]

EPIC 204278916[edit]

Main article: EPIC 204278916

A star called EPIC 204278916, as well as some other young stellar objects,
was observed to have similar dips to those observed in KIC 8462852.
However, they differ in many aspects. EPIC 204278916 shows much deeper
dips than KIC 8462852, and the dips seem to be grouped over a short period,
whereas the dips at KIC 8462852 are spread out over several years. Further,
EPIC 204278916 is surrounded by a proto-stellar disc, while KIC 8462852
appears to be a normal F-type star displaying no evidence of a disc.[1