Alien Megastructures: Dyson Spheres Possibly Enveloping 7 Stars in Our Galaxy, New Studies Revea Researchers have identified at least seven stars in our galaxy that may be surrounded by advanced alien megastructures known as Dyson spheres, though this isn’t the only possible explanation for these stars.
Scientists have observed signs suggesting that at least seven stars in the Milky Way could be encased by Dyson spheres. These hypothetical, super-advanced structures, proposed by theoretical physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960, could be built by alien civilizations to capture a star’s energy output. While there is no certainty that these stars host intelligent life, the findings are intriguing for those searching for extraterrestrial intelligence.
Dyson spheres are envisioned as vast constructions that could entirely surround a star or black hole, harnessing their immense energy. Variations of these structures include ring stations and swarms of giant mirrors. If such megastructures exist, they would likely emit significant infrared radiation due to the heat from the encased star.
Dyson sphere hunters look for infrared excess emissions (IEEs) among distant stars’ spectra, a key technosignature for detecting alien technology alongside strange radio signals, greenhouse gases, and artificial light.
In a study published on May 6 in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, researchers used a computer program to search for IEEs among over 5 million stars surveyed by observatories such as the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft, NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), and the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS). They identified seven strong candidates for Dyson sphere-bound stars. These stars, all M-dwarfs smaller and dimmer than the sun, are located within 1,000 light-years of Earth.
A similar study uploaded on March 27 to the preprint server arXiv also analyzed around 5 million stars using data from Gaia, WISE, and 2MASS, identifying 53 potential IEE candidates. However, it’s unclear if both studies used the same dataset. The March study has not yet been peer-reviewed.
Both studies accounted for false-positive factors like surrounding nebulas but couldn’t entirely rule out other explanations such as superheated debris disks. Researchers aim to conduct follow-up observations on the identified stars using powerful instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope to obtain more accurate readings and search for additional signs of intelligent extraterrestrial life.
