The truth about why light is reduced by aliens

Researchers attributed the unusual phenomenon of starlight reduction to KIC 8462852 star to changes in observation devices, rejecting the hypothesis that alien civilization is exploiting the star's energy.

According to the International Business Times, the idea of ​​alien superstructure blocking light emitted by KIC 8462852 was first launched in October last year. Astronomers find that more than 20% of the star's light is blocked by a huge object. If a Jupiter-sized planet moves across the front of the star, the amount of light blocked is only about 2%.

Some researchers argue that advanced alien civilization can build a giant structure around the star to harness its energy. The hypothetical sphere called Dyson can explain the phenomenon of starlight reduction not caused by natural causes (such as dust or comet clouds). Other evidence reinforces the hypothesis of super-alien structure mentioned in January this year. Astronomers claim that KIC 8462852 's light has decreased by 20% in the last century.

Scientists reject the hypothesis that an extraterrestrial superstructure blocks light from KIC 8462852. (Artwork: break.com).

However, the research team at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee, USA, denied the theory. Scientist Michael Lund and colleagues reviewed the data used to prove the hypothesis, including 500,000 optical glass film plates taken over the last 100 years. Because observations were made with many telescopes and cameras, Lund's team suggested that device changes could explain the difference in each observation.

"We look at the difference in the brightness of some equivalent-sized stars in the database and the signaling that many stars also exhibit similar signs of light reduction in the 1960s . it's because of the difference in equipment, not because the star's brightness changes, " explained Keivan Stassun, a member of Lund's group.

However, the team acknowledged that other light reductions that were observed at KIC 8462852 actually took place and are still a mystery. For example, a series of irregular light reductions lasted 100 days in 2013. "Kepler telescope data from the US Aerospace Agency (NASA) refers to these unusual lightings, but never reached such a high frequency , " Stassun said.