TABBY’S STAR UPDATE: Interstellar dust is causing the light from a distant star to dim and brighten, according to researchers at the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias.
Called “Tabby’s Star,” it is named for Tabetha Boyajian, assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University. Along with other researchers, she examined the findings of citizen scientists and discovered something massive blocking the light from the distant star. The finding led to speculation that this could be an alien structure.
While a cloud of interstellar dust isn’t as interesting as an alien structure, researchers remain excited about the project. The extensive research was made possible, in part, with more than $100,000 raised in a crowdfunding campaign.
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