We Might lastly Solve the �Alien Mega-structure� Mystery

Good information alien hunters! A Kickstarter to fund a year-long study into KIC 8462852�the star voted most likely to harbor an higher alien civilization�just got funded. Alien megastructure or not, we may lastly get to the bottom of this bewildering, flickering star.

This crowdfunding movement was set up in May by Yale astronomer Tabby Boyajian, and it manage to meet its $100,000 goal in just 30 days. A $10,000 surge in the previous 100 minutes of the campaign managed to put the plan over the top. The next step is to figure out the logistics, but Boyajian, who�s been leading the study into KIC 8462852, says observations could create as early as later this summer.

 The ultimate goal of the plan will be to decide why this star�s light dims at such irregular intervals, and at times by as a great deal as 20 percent. These huge dips in luminosity are way too great to be a passing planet, hence the doubt the anomaly is being caused by swarms of comets, a indistinct star, some unidentified astronomical phenomenon�or an advanced alien civilization in the process of building a gigantic solar array around the star.

Boyajian will now be able to safe year-long access to the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network. Should the system spot any additional anomalies, an alert will be sent out to other astronomers, who will then twist their own telescopes to the star.

The majority important thing right now is for astronomers to get additional consistent data, and to replicate existing findings. KIC 8462852 was first flagged by citizen scientists who were peruse through troves of data collected by NASA�s Kepler Space Telescope between 2009 and 2013. Some new observations�particularly incoming signals in real-time�would be nice. Should latest dips in luminosity be detected, astronomers should be able to pick out patterns.

Last year, speculation mount over whether or not KIC 8462852 might be an alien megastructure, perhaps a Dyson sphere. The star is perhaps not enveloped by a Dyson sphere, but that shouldn�t preclude scientists from looking for signals that may show or disprove its existence. If this star is being obstructed by a megastructure under construction, it should emit obvious signals in the form of blackbody thermal radiation. The point of a Dyson sphere is to collect solar energy, but leakage is still likely to happen. 

If a partial Dyson sphere is there, we should motionless be able to notice it in the form of irregular, but discernable, emission signatures.