No, there is no Alien Megastructure for Tabby’s Star

No, there is no Alien Megastructure for Tabby’s Star, according to new data just revealed.

Astronomers for the last two years believed that there really is something weird happening around KIC 8462852 star (or Tabby’s star), that’s 1480 light-years away. The star produced a series of bizarre light fluctuations, scientists cannot explain. A theory suggest that a megastructure is obscuring the light from it.

Is this a Megastructure built by Aliens around a Star?

Above, an illustration depicting a hypothetical uneven ring of dust orbiting KIC 8462852. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Multiple studies have been conducted that have tried to offer a natural explanation for this behavior.

Now, thanks to a wildly successful Kickstarter campaign, researchers led by Louisiana State University (LSU) Department of Physics & Astronomy Assistant Professor Tabetha Boyajian were able to collect additional data on Tabby’s Star.

According to the new study, “various colors of light emanating from the star are being blocked at different intensities.”

Prof. Boyajian explained in a recent LSU press release:

“Dust is most likely the reason why the star’s light appears to dim and brighten. The new data shows that different colors of light are being blocked at different intensities. Therefore, whatever is passing between us and the star is not opaque, as would be expected from a planet or alien megastructure.”