KIC 8462852 Brightness Pattern Repeating Every 1600 Days

TL;DR

This study identifies a repeating 1600-day brightness pattern in KIC 8462852, linking ground-based and Kepler data, and predicts future similar events requiring long-term observation for confirmation.

Contribution

It reveals a recurring brightness pattern in KIC 8462852, suggesting periodic behavior and providing a prediction for future observations.

Findings

Identified a 1600-day repeating brightness pattern.

Observed a yearlong fade ending in late 2016.

Predicted similar events in 2021 requiring long-term monitoring.

Abstract

Observations of KIC 8462852 (aka Boyajian's Star) reveal a yearlong fade pattern that is remarkably similar to the fade pattern derived from Kepler mission observations. The ground-based observations reported here can be described as a gradual fade that ended in late 2016 with the beginning of a yearlong U-shaped fade of 1.1 percent. Near the end of this U-shaped fade a series of very brief dips occurred. The Kepler data exhibit a similar pattern 1600 days earlier, except with an abrupt end of observations before the U-shape recovery. Observations lasting many years are needed, especially during our predicted repeat of the U-shape and short dip pattern in 2021.