Abnormal light reduction star may be caused by dust cloud

Researchers believe that dust may be the cause of Tabby star, also known as KIC 8462852, to reduce light.

The research team of Professor Tabetha Boyajian at the University of Louisiana discovered that dust may be the cause, also known as abnormal light reduction, Live Science reported on January 3.

Star Tabby is about 1,500 light-years from Earth, slightly larger and hotter than the Sun. In 2015, the star attracted a lot of attention when Professor Boyajian and his colleagues discovered it had an unusual cycle of light reduction, reduced by 22% and lasted several days at a time. Another study showed that the star also decreased about 20% from 1890 to 1989.

Tabby stars have a strange light cycle.(Photo: NASA / JPL-Caltech).

Scientists put forward many theories to explain this phenomenon, from comet fragments moving around Tabby, a barrier between Earth and this star, to the super-energy-absorbing structure.

"Dust may be the most suitable reason for the light of Tabby star to increase or decrease. The new data shows that different colors of light are blocked to varying degrees. Therefore, things move. between Earth and this star is not a cloudy object like a planet or superstructure of aliens, " said Boyajian.

In the new study, she and her colleagues observed the star from March 2016 - December 2017, using the telescope of the Las Cumbres Observatory. They discovered and analyzed four light drops that took place last summer.

The research results are consistent with the findings that another group of experts obtained at the end of 2017. The team believes that there may exist a cloud of dust flying around Tabby, completing a round of 700 days.

However, scientists still need to study more about Tabby stars. Dust may be a good reason for Tabby's unusual dimming, but not the only possibility.

"The latest study eliminates the possibility of aliens' superstructures, but another phenomenon may be behind the decline," said Jason Wright, an astronomer at Pennsylvania State University. fake the study, said.

"Some other hypotheses including the matter around the star like comets, the original hypothesis that the Boyajian team put forward, also seem to fit the data we have. However, some celestial houses. The paper supports the notion that there is no barrier that the star will self-shine. This is also consistent with the data obtained in the summer, " he added.