The Strangest Star in the Sky
A star in the southern sky contains elements that shouldn't be there, some of which should have decayed long ago. One suggestion is that someone put them there.
What was reported
In 1961, the Polish-Australian astronomer Antoni Przybylski, working at Mount Stromlo near Canberra, studied the light of a faint star in the constellation Centaurus. Its spectrum was unlike any other: full of rare heavy elements, and nearly lacking iron and nickel, which are common in stars.
Later studies reported traces of elements so unstable they should break down quickly, which would mean something is producing them now. The star is about 350 light years away.
Explanations offered
Astronomers think the strange mix may come from the star's strong magnetic field pulling some elements to its surface and letting others sink, perhaps with help from a nearby companion star. Whether the short-lived elements are really there is debated. The idea that a civilisation might use a star as a place to dispose of nuclear waste has been raised, but mostly as a thought experiment.
- When
- Discovered in 1961
- Where
- Mount Stromlo Observatory, Canberra, Australia
- Witnesses
- Antoni Przybylski and astronomers since
- Status
- Unexplained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
More from Australia