Astronomers Really Thought These Discoveries Could Be Aliens

Research from last year identified around 100 vanishing stars, which, as the name suggests, are, uh, vanishing stars. More technically known as red transients, these stars initially appear as dim red dots that get progressively brighter and then disappear from view, in an unexplained process that lasts less than an hour.

“Unless a star collapses directly into a black hole, there is no known physical process by which it could physically vanish,” wrote the researchers, led by Beatriz Villarroel from Stockholm University, in their paper. “If such examples exist this makes it interesting for searches for new exotic phenomena or even signs of technologically advanced civilizations.”

These “exotic phenomena” could include failed supernovae or massive solar flares emanating from red dwarfs, but we don’t actually know. Vanishing stars remain a question in need of an answer, affording us the opportunity to blame aliens—at least for now.

Research from last year identified around 100 vanishing stars, which, as the name suggests, are, uh, vanishing stars. More technically known as red transients, these stars initially appear as dim red dots that get progressively brighter and then disappear from view, in an unexplained process that lasts less than an hour.

“Unless a star collapses directly into a black hole, there is no known physical process by which it could physically vanish,” wrote the researchers, led by Beatriz Villarroel from Stockholm University, in their paper. “If such examples exist this makes it interesting for searches for new exotic phenomena or even signs of technologically advanced civilizations.”

These “exotic phenomena” could include failed supernovae or massive solar flares emanating from red dwarfs, but we don’t actually know. Vanishing stars remain a question in need of an answer, affording us the opportunity to blame aliens—at least for now.