December 04, 2018

We are new partners in the LCO education program! Our project will use reddit as a communal gathering place to teach the public how to build a light curve using astronomical images.  Follow the links below for details!      

April 10, 2018

"Evangeline" is now the name for the second dip in March 2018!! Click on the link below for details.

April 05, 2018

"Caral-Supe" is now the name for the first dip in March 2018!! Click on the link below for details.

January 03, 2018

[Abridged abstract:] We present a photometric detection of the first brightness dips of the unique variable star KIC 8462852 since the end of the Kepler space mission in 2013 May. Our regular photometric surveillance started in October 2015, and a sequence of dipping began in 2017 May continuing on through the end of 2017, when the star was no longer visible from Earth. We distinguish four main 1–2.5% dips, named “Elsie,” “Celeste,” “Skara Brae,”  and “Angkor” , which persist on timescales from several days to weeks. Our main results so far are: (i) there are no apparent changes of the stellar spectrum or polarization during the dips; (ii) the multiband photometry of the dips shows differential reddening favoring non-grey extinction. Click on link below for press release and additional information. 

January 03, 2018

[Abridged abstract:] We report ground-based spectrophotometry of KIC 8462852, during its first dimming events since the end of the Kepler mission. The dimmings show a clear colour-signature, and are deeper in visual blue wavelengths than in red ones.. Click on link below for press release and additional information. 

September 18, 2017

The September 2017 dip has been christened "Angkor". Read more about it in the WTF blog update 85/n.     

August 08, 2017

The August 2017 dip has been christened "Skara Brae". Read more about it in the WTF blog update 52/n.     

July 06, 2017

The June 2017 dip has been christened "Celeste". Read more about it in the WTF blog update 24/n.     

June 17, 2017

At the time of this post, the June 2017 dip continues. Read more about it in the WTF blog.     

June 03, 2017

The May 2017 dip has been christened "Elsie". Read more about it in the WTF blog update 6/n.     

May 26, 2017

Check out the WTF blog or follow #TabbysStar on twitter.     

May 19, 2017

The WTF Star has gone into a dipping event. Global observation response has been triggered.

December 21, 2016

Jason Wright's opinion on the new papers published this week on WTF.

November 28, 2016

October updates from the science team.  

November 16, 2016

The Astrophysical Journal Letters Focus Issue on Boyajian's Star

October 11, 2016

Public release of the first newsletter on science updates.   

September 13, 2016

A new paper by Drs Jason Wright and Steinn Sigurdsson's has been acepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.  See also Dr Wright's "slow blog" on the topics included within the paper.  

September 02, 2016

Dr Jason Wright describes the contents of his new paper in a "slow-blog".  There are 10 parts to the series.  Enjoy!

August 31, 2016

Dr Jason Wright is describing the contents of his new paper in a "slow-blog" over the next week or so, up until the day it actually appears on the arXiv (after it’s accepted). 

August 30, 2016

Dr Jason Wright is describing the contents of his new paper in a "slow-blog" over the next week or so, up until the day it actually appears on the arXiv (after it’s accepted). 

August 29, 2016

Dr Jason Wright is describing the contents of his new paper in a "slow-blog" over the next week or so, up until the day it actually appears on the arXiv (after it’s accepted). 

August 07, 2016

Our subreddit is trending and is featured on the front page today!

August 05, 2016

"KIC 8462852 Faded Throughout the Kepler Mission" by Ben Montet and Josh Simon made its debut on the Arcvive today.  What does this all mean?  Check back later for a blog about it, and in the meantime, here is the link to the paper.   

August 01, 2016

This subreddit is exactly the place you are looking for to discuss your thoughts and ideas about WTF.     

June 13, 2016

Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. On Monday June 13, 2016 - our favorite KIC star is featured!

May 31, 2016

What is so mysterious about the “most mysterious star in our Galaxy”?  Could it be a massive swarm of comets, an "alien megastructure", or something completely new?  Ask Tabetha Boyajian and Jason Wright anything! 

May 18, 2016

Help astronomers get the data they need to unravel one of the biggest mysteries of all time, KIC 8462852 --- Where’s the Flux?

February 16, 2016

Something massive, with roughly 1,000 times the area of Earth, is blocking the light coming from a distant star known as KIC 8462852, and nobody is quite sure what it is. As astronomer Tabetha Boyajian investigated this perplexing celestial object, a colleague suggested something unusual: Could it be an alien-built megastructure? Such an extraordinary idea would require extraordinary evidence. In this talk, Boyajian gives us a look at how scientists search for and test hypotheses when faced with the unknown.