An artist's illustration of the possible structures surrounding the star KIC 8462852 (also known as Tabby’s Star). The Kepler observatory has observed

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An artist's illustration of the possible structures surrounding the star KIC 8462852 (also known as Tabby’s Star). The Kepler observatory has observed dimming of the star, which suggests there is material in orbit around it. One theory is that the dimming is caused by a megastructure and is a sign of an advanced civilization. Such a structure could be in the form of a so-called Dyson sphere. This is a huge shell surrounding a star, engineered by a type-2 civilisation – able to utilise all of the potential energy of its planetary system’s star. Here the structure is depicted as a network encasing the star. Life could thrive on the inside surface of this sphere if it is at a sufficient distance from the star. Two nearby planets are also show, their night sides illuminated by city lights.

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Size: 6000px × 3954px
Photo credit: © MARK GARLICK/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: 84628, art, artwork, civilization, concept, cosmos, deep, dyson, energy, fiction, illustration, kic, mega-structure, megastructure, science, space, sphere, star, stars, stellar, structure, sun, tabbys, technology, universe