Jan 30, 2022
Astronomers Suggest a Surprising New Way to Detect Alien Megastructures
Posted by Dan Breeden in categories: alien life, satellites, solar power, sustainability
How do you power a super advanced alien civilization? Soak up a star.
We harness the power of the sun using solar panels. What if you were to scale this idea to astronomical proportions? Surround an entire star with solar-collecting structures or satellites to power your sprawling alien galactic empire. Such massive structures are known as megastructures—in this case a “Dyson sphere.” We are already trying to detect possible megastructures in space using the dimming of a star and the glow of megastructure components in infrared light. But recent research provides a new detection method—a Dyson sphere may cause its host star to swell and cool.