The story concerning KIC 8462852 appears to be moving away from alien megastructures and onward to …
Just when the world thought that signs of life outside of Earth have already been found, experts have to cut the excitement short. In a new study, astronomers found that the so-called alien megastructure orbiting around star KIC 8462852 is most probably just a swarm of comets. …
Now, in a new study from Iowa University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, researchers found that the most acceptable explanation for the unusual dimming of KIC 8462852 is the destruction of a cluster of comets.
The investigation involved two different types of infrared wavelengths. The first one was shorter and was consistent with a common star. The second one is longer and exuded infrared components but are not sufficient to achieve detection threshold.
The scientists found that there were no additional infrared emissions thus warranting that neither an asteroid belt collision, huge impacts on a planet nor clouds of debris and rock were present.
The researchers further explained that the comet fragments that come swiftly at an elliptical and arduous orbit form huge clouds of debris, are dimming the star. The clouds created will then move, thus bringing back the star’s original brightness and leaving no signs or evidence of excess infrared light.
