Dimming stars can be exploited by extraterrestrials

A British physics professor said that the light reduction observed from the Earth by the star KIC 8462852 could be due to a progressive civilization living in a orbiting planet that exploits solar energy.

Aliens exploit energy as stars reduce brightness

According to IB Times, KIC 8462852 is 1,400 light-years from Earth. Its light travels to Earth with large, non-cyclical changes, observed by the Kepler space telescope.

"A quarter of the light from this star can disappear in the course of changes, while the largest planets are only capable of obscuring about 1% of light. The changes are not according to the rules. , with shapes that are not spherical. This is a very strange star system with one or more massive objects orbiting a star, " said Brian Cox, professor of particle physics, University of Manchester, England. said on November 5.

There are many theories that explain these unusual brightness changes. One of those hypotheses is about planetary collisions . However, if it is due to planetary collisions, thermal radiation must be obtained from impacted dust clouds. Another hypothesis is that a group of comets passing through KIC 8462852 has been broken by its gravity , creating a large amount of air dust that obscures the light.

Dyson sphere model.(Brother: Kevin Gill).

The last hypothesis, is that there is a progressive civilization with great energy demand. They may have built a system of giant solar panels around KIC 8462852. This idea was first mentioned in the 1960s, by Freeman Dyson theoretical physicist.

"There is a theory called " Dyson sphere " , suggesting that an extremely advanced civilization will have a way to surround an entire star with a sphere from photovoltaic panels. Cox can fully exploit the energy emitted from this star, " Cox explained.

According to the Fermi paradox, one of the greatest paradoxes (the contradiction between the huge number of planets that match life and cannot find evidence of alien civilizations), there must be about 20 billion. the planet is like the Earth in the Milky Way, with a time of about 11 billion years for life to grow on these planets. Therefore, it would come as no surprise that some of them had an outstanding level of development on Earth.

According to Cox, if signs of an alien civilization are detected from distant stars, further research should be taken seriously.

"I emphasize that the hypothesis of photovoltaic panels may be right or wrong. But with the observation data that cannot be explained at this point, it would not be surprising if there was a more advanced civilization. We are very much capable of building such a system. I will not be surprised, " Cox said.