Bizarre Boyajian’s Star (‘alien megastructure’ star) is dipping again!

Artist’s concept of Boyajian’s Star with a huge swarm of comets. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

The weird star called Boyajian’s Star (aka Tabby’s Star or KIC 8462852) has been fascinating astronomers and people in general because of its weird behaviour of experiencing sudden, unusual dips in brightness which all current theories have so far had difficulty explaining. Now, the star has started dipping again after a long period of “normal” activity.

Read MoreBizarre Boyajian’s Star (‘alien megastructure’ star) is dipping again!

Bright ‘tower’ in Mars orbiter image: Anomaly or natural formation?

The bright object seen by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS/Daily Mail

With thousands of images taken by various probes sent to Mars, it would seem inevitable that unusual or puzzling objects might be seen in some of them. And of course, there have been, most notably the famous “Face on Mars” first seen in low-resolution Viking orbiter images in the 1970s. Higher-resolution images taken later by other orbiters with better cameras showed it, and nearby interesting formations, to be just natural hills and mesas. Despite that, other curious things are seen in both orbital and ground images from time to time, although they almost always have a simple prosaic explanation. Another such oddity was just recently seen in an image taken by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which has attracted some attention. Most likely it is a natural rock formation, but it’s also not, as described by the tabloid Daily Mail, a “spherule” either.

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10-part overview of enigmatic ‘alien megastructure’ star, by Jason Wright

Whatever is causing the weird dimming around the star isn't known yet, but theories have ranged from comets to "alien megastructures." Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Whatever is causing the weird dimming around the star isn’t known yet, but theories have ranged from comets or dust to “alien megastructures.” Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

This is a great 10-part overview of Boyajian’s Star (Tabby’s Star/KIC 8462852) by astronomer and astrophysicist Jason Wright, outlining the various hypotheses to date to explain this weird star observed by the Kepler Space Telescope. Whatever is causing the unusual short-term and long-term dimming is still unknown.

Read More10-part overview of enigmatic ‘alien megastructure’ star, by Jason Wright

Aliens in Hercules? Possible SETI signal detected by Russian radio telescope remains elusive

The RATAN-600 radio telescope in Russia. Photo Credit: nat-geo.ru
The RATAN-600 radio telescope in Russia. Photo Credit: nat-geo.ru

It may sound cliche, but the question ‘Are we alone?’ is still one that captures the imagination of many people, including of course, scientists. With the now regular discovery of exoplanets orbiting other stars, the prospect that there may be other intelligent life out there somewhere (or any kind of life) has only become more exciting and compelling. When it comes to intelligent extraterrestrials, SETI is a name that has become part of our modern culture, the Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. SETI focuses on looking for radio and optical signals that could originate from an advanced society, a technique that in itself has generated much debate. After several decades of searching, a definitive signal has yet to be found, but there have been tantalizing possibilities. Unfortunately, none of those have yet panned out as the signal. Now, another interesting radio signal is making the news – could it be the evidence scientists are looking for or is it another dead-end?

Read MoreAliens in Hercules? Possible SETI signal detected by Russian radio telescope remains elusive