A fascinating article recently published by Astronomy Magazine, describes observations made using the Green Bank Telescope of a very quirky star known as Tabby’s Star (named after Tabetha Boyajian, the post-doc who studied its behavior). Tabby’s star dims substantially, at irregular intervals, setting it apart from other stars that harbor exoplanets. What could account for these irregular dips in the star’s light? There are several ideas and they are all interesting. But perhaps the most interesting of all is that the dimming is due to a massive array of solar energy-collecting structures in orbit around the star itself.
Want to know more? Read the article on Astronomy Magazine’s website.