# Can Dips of Boyajian's Star be Explained by Circumsolar Rings?

## TL;DR

This paper explores whether the unusual brightness dips of Boyajian's Star could be caused by circumsolar rings in our Solar System, proposing a testable heliocentric ring hypothesis based on orbital timing and observational geometry.

## Contribution

It introduces a novel hypothesis that Solar System rings could explain Boyajian's Star's dips, predicting specific observational signatures and timing patterns.

## Key findings

- Future dips may occur during annual windows predicted by the model
- Dips observed at different terrestrial sites may be uncorrelated
- The hypothesis links dip timing to Kepler's orbital period

## Abstract

Could the dips of "Boyajian's Star" (KIC 8462852) have been caused by matter in our Solar System? The interval between periods of deep dips is nearly twice the orbital period of the Kepler satellite. I consider heliocentric obscuring rings in the outer Solar System that graze the line of sight to the star once per orbit of Kepler. The hypothesis predicts that future dips may be observed from Earth during windows separated by a year, although their detailed structure depends on the distribution of particles along the ring. Dips observed at terrestrial sites separated by > 1000 km in a direction perpendicular to the Earth's orbital motion may be uncorrelated.