Were All Dooomed :P

I was all set to dismiss this completely... but I did a quick Google search on KIC 8462852 and found this graph....

A 20% drop in the light curve?!?! Blimey...

You can read the full paper here.

However, the team seem to have concluded the following:

we find that the break-up of a exocomet provides the most compelling explanation

but this article talks about the transiting megastructure idea.

I think this article by Phil Plait gives the best summary.

Thanks for sharing this, Simon. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Judging by the readers' comments at the end of the story I think I'd be quite happy to take my chances with the aliens.

Phil Plait (really, the man should be a restaurant critic with a name like that) says (I paraphrase) that we could be seeing the effects of a disturbance in the star's Oort cloud.

You heard it here first, folks!

what would we have to be able to do to observe other stars’ Oort clouds?

Well, okay, maybe not... 😉

what would we have to be able to do to observe other stars’ Oort clouds?

Wow! And there's me dismissing your thoughts out of hand 🙂

In all seriousness though, I can't believe that this is down to comet activity. The number of comets would have to be HUGE. In our own solar system, Jupiter would only cause a 1% drop in flux, so the 20% drop in this system is incredible.

That's quite a Oort Cloud, if true 😉

definatly keeping an eye on this one its certainly interesting

Thanks for posting the graph and extra links Mike I did find another one but electric run out before I got the key in it and cant find the thing again 🙁

In all seriousness though, I can’t believe that this is down to comet activity.

Yes, I thought that. Reeeeeally big comets? Mega-planet-sized comets?

https://t.co/vtqmDbGnkV This is an interesting alternative.

Well, I'm tickled at the idea of a 'Dyson Sphere' - in the vacuum of space!

ROTFLAMOJ

Well, I’m tickled at the idea of a ‘Dyson Sphere’ – in the vacuum of space!

ROTFLAMOJ

Don't tell me that I've got to get this out again...

😉

Another bite of the Dyson Sphere http://t.co/0m1VOo68pC

Aliens or no Aliens, whatever the explanation turns out to be, its a pretty damn exciting discovery! We either have interesting new astrophysics to learn about or NASA will be getting a quidrillion pound budget to build the starship enterprise 😉 I dont get a yellow for that do I?

That yellow card is looking a bit pristine, Mike. I might have to provoke you to use it more.

https://t.co/hTK7jNSPS9 possible update!

https://t.co/hTK7jNSPS9 possible update!

Thanks Brian. Interesting theory.

So the large decreases in flux could be due to a transit across a brightened pole of a star that doesn't have a uniformly brightened disc. This is due to a high spin rate of the star, causing an oblate shape and causing "gravity darkening".

All sounds feasible... if a little boring 😉