{"id":14397,"date":"2017-05-20T13:05:16","date_gmt":"2017-05-20T17:05:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=14397"},"modified":"2017-05-20T13:05:16","modified_gmt":"2017-05-20T17:05:16","slug":"tabbys-star-begins-to-dim-again-and-astronomers-around-the-globe-are-watching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hobbyspace.com\/Blog\/?p=14397","title":{"rendered":"Tabby’s Star begins to dim again and astronomers around the globe are watching"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tabby’s Star<\/a>\u00a0is currently one of the oddest objects observed in our galaxy. Citizen scientists working in the Planet Hunters<\/a>\u00a0program were the first to notice that the light output of the star, which is 1300 light years from earth, was fluctuating downward in an irregular manner never seen before with similar type stars. (See posts here<\/a> and here<\/a>.)\u00a0Subsequent research looking back at telescopic images of the star indicated that the\u00a0brightness may have\u00a0been falling over the past 100 years.<\/p>\n

The star (also known as Boyajian\u2019s Star<\/em>)\u00a0<\/strong>is named after LSU assistant professor\u00a0Tabetha Boyajian<\/a>\u00a0and on Friday she posted on Twitter: “#TabbysStar IS DIPPING! OBSERVE!!<\/a>” This led observatories around the world to aim their telescopes and radio dishes at the star\u00a0to observe it in as many wavelengths as possible. She also posted a graph showing the drop in brightness:<\/p>\n

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@ajebson<\/a> @NASAKepler<\/a> @LCO_Global<\/a> @keckobservatory<\/a> @AAVSO<\/a> @nexssinfo<\/a> @NASA<\/a> @NASAHubble<\/a> @Astro_Wright<\/a> @BerkeleySETI<\/a> @ESO<\/a> its 2% in r’ band and looks like its the start pic.twitter.com\/TjJdSY2ar9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Tabetha Boyajian (@tsboyajian) May 19, 2017<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n