We have already talked recently about possible extraterrestrial life. And now a concept has been found that could change our perception in this area: Dyson spheres. According to estimates, some stars could have a gigantic structure, a swarm of solar panels or mirrors completely surrounding a star, collecting each photon of energy it emits.
This idea, although it sounds like science fiction, would propose a radical solution to the energy problems that any constantly expanding society would face, and according to a study, seven stars in the Milky Way present anomalies in their infrared emissions, suggesting the possible existence of Dyson spheres.
Seven stars could feature Dyson Spheres and host intelligent life
The search for extraterrestrial life is once again relevant in this scientific study that has taken various forms over the years, from the identification of exoplanets similar to Earth to the investigation of stars that share characteristics with the Sun and the detection of possible transmissions of extraterrestrial origin.
For more than six decades, a specific focus in the search for advanced civilizations has been on the fascinating idea of Dyson Spheres in this scientific study.
In 1960, physicist Freeman Dyson proposed that, in order to find extraterrestrial civilizations, we should look for stars that generate infrared radiation but whose brightness is dimmer than expected. Stars like this, he theorized, could be surrounded by a sphere or device that would allow an advanced civilization to capture and use their energy for its own benefit. This device is known as the “Dyson Sphere” and, for now, is merely hypothetical.
But, if by chance Earth’s instruments were to capture the technosignature of a titanic extraterrestrial work of that nature, how would we know how to distinguish it between cosmic noise and natural phenomena? A recent study published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society proposes a method to identify the so-called “Dyson spheres” in the universe.
According to the research, six stars in the Milky Way could have these formations. And if advanced civilizations exist in the universe, it’s likely that they no longer depend on the exploitation of hydrocarbons to produce energy. Instead, they would take advantage of the seemingly inexhaustible radiation of the star around which they orbit.
Possible evidence found
Using data from space telescopes such as the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) and the Gaia observatory, a team led by astrophysicist Benjamin Zuckerman has analyzed the infrared emissions of these stars to detect patterns that suggest an excess unexplained by natural stellar processes. The candidate stars, mainly red dwarfs, show characteristics that could indicate the existence of artificial material harvesting stellar energy, supporting the possibility of advanced technological activity in their vicinity.
Among the stars identified is WISE 1812+2728, a star located about 500 light years from Earth that shows an infrared excess. Also WISE 1627+2530, located about 800 light years away, a star that has an unusual infrared emission profile.
Although these findings are still in the process of validation and require more data to confirm their nature, this idea would propose a long-term solution for obtaining energy, opening the possibility of almost unlimited growth in technological and development capacity. of a civilization.
Therefore, the concept of Dyson spheres is directly intertwined with the Kardashev scale, a theoretical classification of civilizations based on their ability to harness energy. The scale, proposed by Russian astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev in 1964, consists of three main types of civilizations:
Type I: Civilizations that can use all the energy available on their home planet.
Type II: Civilizations capable of harnessing all the energy of their mother star.
Type III: Civilizations that can use the energy of an entire galaxy.
