A team of astronomers has made an intriguing discovery by searching through recent astronomical survey data, identifying seven candidates for alien megastructures, specifically Dyson spheres, that warrant further analysis.

Their efforts, detailed in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, aim to find “oddball” stars—objects that could potentially be alien megastructures. 

The seven objects are all located within 1,000 light-years of Earth and are classified as “M-dwarfs.” These stars are smaller and less bright than our sun.

The concept of Dyson spheres was first introduced by physicist Freeman Dyson in 1960 as a hypothetical structure that an advanced civilization might build to harness a star’s energy. The structures would consist of floating power collectors, factories, and habitats that would eventually encircle the star entirely.

Mr. Dyson theorized that such megastructures would produce an observable signature—a significant excess of infrared radiation. This is because, while the megastructures would absorb visible light from the star, they wouldn’t be able to use all the energy. The excess energy would be emitted as infrared light, which has a longer wavelength.

However, infrared light can also indicate other phenomena, such as disks of gas and dust or cometary debris. The seven candidates in this study do not fit well with typical disk models, making them intriguing prospects for further investigation.

Another potential signature of a Dyson sphere is the occasional dimming of the star’s visible light as the structure passes in front of it. This phenomenon has been observed before, notably with Tabby’s Star, which exhibited unusual dips in its light. Although this star was not confirmed to host an alien megastructure, it remains a subject of scientific curiosity.

While the existence of Dyson spheres remains hypothetical, the idea is rooted in the assumption that advanced civilizations would have immense power requirements. 

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