Boyajian's Star (art)

Stellar Science

Are There More Stars Like Boyajian’s Star?

Remember KIC 8462852, better known as Boyajian’s star (or you may have seen it referred to as the “alien megastructure” star)? We still don’t have a definitive explanation for this source’s odd behavior — in part because we thought that Boyajian’s star was one-of-a-kind.

Dust ring around Boyajian's Star

Stellar Science

New Observations of the "Most Mysterious Star in the Galaxy"

New data on Boyajian's Star show that dust — not an alien megastructure — is probably the cause of this star's mysterious behavior.

Comet Swarm

Stellar Science

Can We Explain the Curious Case of Tabby's Star?

New ideas have emerged to explain Tabby's Star, officially known as KIC 8462852, but the jury's still out on the cause of the star's weird behavior.

Comet Swarm

Stellar Science

Finally! The Galaxy’s Most Mysterious Star Is Dimming

Tabby's star, otherwise known as the most mysterious star in the galaxy, is dipping drastically in brightness, giving astronomers an opportunity to figure out what has been causing this star's weird behavior.

Comet Swarm

Stellar Science

Tabby’s Star: Weird Star Gets Weirder

A new study on KIC 8462852, the star of alien megastructure fame, finds yearlong trends that effectively rule out the one working theory astronomers had to explain this strange star.

Comet Swarm

Cosmic Relief with David Grinspoon

Could It Be: Possible Signs of Extraterrestrial Intelligence?

We need to learn how to talk about possible signs of extraterrestrial intelligence.

Asteroid breakup (artwork)

Astrobiology

The Curious Case of KIC 8462852

The Kepler spacecraft recorded a bunch of irregular dimmings around one of its target stars, designated KIC 8462852. No natural phenomenon explains the dips well.