‘Alien megastructure’ could surround giant star baffling scientists looking for new planets
BY KIRSTIE MCCRUM
A series of mysterious objects surrounding a giant star millions of miles away could be an alien megastructure, experts believe.
Planet spotters examining data from the Kepler Space Telescope were startled by an unusual light pattern orbiting a star called KIC 8462852.
When they studied the star, which sits some 1,480 light years from Earth, they noticed a swarm of objects surrounding it in an usual pattern.
At first it was thought to be comets, shrapnel from an asteroid impact or even a mistake in the data.
But astronomer Jason Wright from Penn State University offered a more science fiction explanation.
He believes it could be an ‘alien megastructure’ designed to harness energy from the star.
He said: “Aliens should always be the very last hypothesis you consider, but this looked like something you would expect an alien civilization to build.”