A recently published scientific study has attracted the attention of both space lovers and alien hunters. In the middle of it is a strange set of signals that have been detected from a star in the Constellation Ursa Major – a star that briefly flickered in May 2023 in a way in which scientists say they have never seen before. Although some headlines have already jumped in the idea of alien beings, the reality is a bit more nuanced.
The star in question, HD 89389, is about 100 light years of the earth and slightly larger and brighter than our sun. NASA-relieved researcher Richard Stanton saw something unusual during the observations of the star: a few identical pulses in his brightness, at a distance of 4.4 seconds apart. The phenomenon ensured that the light from the star flew quickly, dive and then brightened up again – before it became normal again.
Stanton nowadays said to Universe: “This variation is far too strong to be caused by random noise or atmospheric turbulence.” What he found most confusing is that this effect would be difficult to explain as from the star itself. “How do you make a star, more than a million kilometers wide, partially disappearing in a tenth of a second?” he asked. The implication is that everything that causes the pulses may not be fantastic in origin.
In the following months, Stanton carried out an exhaustive elimination process. He clocked more than 1500 hours compared to the signal to everything, from aircraft interference and lightning to meteors, satellites and system errors – with nothing that matches the characteristics of the pulses.
The result, published in the journal Acta Astronautics, concludes that there is no clear conventional explanation. But it is crucial that it also does not claim proof of alien beings. Stanton itself is clear on that point: “Until we learn more, we can’t even say whether aliens are involved.”
Although the signal is certainly unusual, it is not the first of its kind. A similar pattern was observed in 2019, this time associated with a hot gas giant called Dimidium, about 50 light years away. That copy was initially somewhat embarrassed as a result of birds. It is not yet clear whether the two cases are connected, but both parts the same characteristic – a precise, repeated two -pattern.
The nature of these pulses remains unknown. A theory is that an object can pass for the star, which changes the light briefly. Another possibility is that the signal can be the result of a Diffraction – a bending or distortion of light caused by an unknown intermediate object in our solar system. Even the atmosphere of the earth was considered a cause, although Stanton describes that statement as unlikely.
While the word “alien” inevitably takes the headlines, most scientists would take care of caution. A strange signal does not mean that it was sent by intelligent life – it can just be a natural phenomenon that we do not yet understand. History is full of similar examples, such as Pulsars, who initially had the nickname “LGM” – shortly before “Little Green Men” – before they were confirmed as fast rotating neutron stars.
In this case, Stanton does not claim the discovery of alien intelligence. Instead, he emphasizes something interesting and inexplicable, and does what science does best: documenting, testing and admitting what we don’t know yet.
For now, the twin pulses of HD 89389 remain a mystery. Whether the answer lies in foreign objects within our solar system, a completely new type of astronomical event, or something that is even more unexpected, one thing is certain – researchers will keep an eye on Ursa Major very well.
