Is it Aliens? The Most Unusual Star In The Galaxy - Chris Lintott
May 22, 2024
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Astronomer Chris Lintott discusses Boyajian's star and the hunt for unusual objects in the Universe. Topics include disintegrating comets, alien megastructures, citizen scientists on Zooniverse, direct planet detection, the 'WTF star' theory, Betelgeuse dimming, James Webb telescope prospects, planetary dynamics, alien technology, space-based telescopes, and debunking black hole theories.
Astronomers debate the unusual behavior of Boyajian's star, from comet swarms to alien megastructures.
Challenges in detecting Earth-like exoplanets are discussed due to limitations in current observation techniques.
Expanding the search for alien life includes considering techno signatures and unconventional indicators in star systems.
Deep dives
Observing Unidentified Flying Objects
The speaker recalls an experience when observing the sky and mistaking a Chinese lantern for a UFO. This leads to a discussion on human fascination with potential signs of intelligent life beyond Earth, citing historical examples like the misinterpretation of Martian canals in the 19th century.
Exploring Exoplanets and Alien Life
The podcast delves into the discovery of exoplanets and the variety of worlds found in the Milky Way. It highlights the diversity of planetary systems and discusses the challenges of detecting Earth-like planets due to limitations in current observing methods, such as the difficulty in distinguishing planet signals from star glare.
Investigating the Mystery of the WTF Star
The podcast focuses on the intriguing behavior of the star KIC8462852, known as the WTF star. Scientists initially speculated on alien megastructures or comet swarms causing its unusual dimming patterns. Further investigation using archival data revealed a long-term fading of the star, leading to a hypothesis that star consuming planets could explain both the fading and sudden dips in brightness.
Rationale for Double Star Planet Consumption
The study discusses the likelihood of planets being consumed by double stars due to orbital disruptions caused by encounters with other stars. The speaker predicts that certain stars, like the Bohurjan star, could potentially be double stars, leading to planetary disruptions. The investigation focuses on stars like HD-139139, showing erratic behavior with 80 dips over two years, hinting at unusual planetary interactions.
Expanding Search for Life in the Universe
The podcast explores broadening the search for life beyond traditional methods by considering techno signatures, signs of intelligent civilizations' impact on their surroundings. Examples include the speculated detection of alien mining operations through excess dust in star systems or identifying anomalous star patterns as potential indicators of extraterrestrial presence. It highlights the evolving strategies for detecting life, moving beyond conventional approaches to encompass a wider range of possibilities, including investigating unexplained phenomena in the cosmos.
Boyajian's star, a faint and unprepossessing presence in the constellation of Cygnus, attracted astronomers' attention when it began to flicker alarmingly.
We will discuss explanations for its behaviour, from disintegrating comets to alien megastructures, and consider how modern astronomy hunts for the truly unusual objects in the Universe.
For this task, the involvement of large numbers of volunteers - citizen scientists - is essential, for example via the Zooniverse platform, which invites you to participate in classifying galaxies and discovering planets.
This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on 29th April 2024 at Conway Hall, London
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/alien-star
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