# If the dips are dust, what produces it in large, short-lived clumps? · Tabby's star (KIC 8462852) > Six answers have been proposed. The fragments of a broken-up comet or planetesimal on an eccentric orbit, passing in front of the star in… leads, with… Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0D8E76QC6BDA/if-the-dips-are-dust-what-produces-it-in-large-short-lived Publisher: Mysteries Department Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page) Updated: 2026-10-26T11:58:54+00:00 --- **0** # If the dips are dust, what produces it in large, short-lived clumps? Asked 26 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·Part of [What blocks the light during the deep, irregular dips?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0D8E76FJ6B8S/what-blocks-the-light-during-the-deep-irregular-dips)·6 answers·0·0 following **Most likely: the fragments of a broken-up comet or planetesimal on an eccentric orbit, passing in front of the star in…** Ahead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted. ## Where it stands Six answers have been proposed. The fragments of a broken-up comet or planetesimal on an eccentric orbit, passing in front of the star in… leads, with evidence 1 for, 2 against: partly supported by its tests. Five are still possible. ## Why it matters Dust is now the favoured occulter, but a mature main-sequence star should not have large amounts of fresh dust without an infrared excess⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6TGR30ZB/planet-hunters-ix-kic-8462852-wheres-the-flux)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6VZM0D8Z/non-grey-dimming-events-of-kic-8462852-from-gtc). The source is the open core of the dust reading. ## Answers 6 [**The fragments of a broken-up comet or planetesimal on an eccentric orbit, passing in front of the star in…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/answers/ANS0D8E7C3815EN/the-fragments-of-a-broken-up-comet-or-planetesimal-on-an) Partly supported by its tests Evidence: 1 for, 2 against Most likely [**Bodies falling towards the star and destroyed by heating, releasing dust.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/answers/ANS0D8E7E9J33CF/bodies-falling-towards-the-star-and-destroyed-by-heating) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible [**Comets driven onto star-grazing orbits by the bound M-dwarf companion through the eccentric Kozai-Lidov…** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/answers/ANS0D8E7D2G4BMZ/comets-driven-onto-star-grazing-orbits-by-the-bound-m-dwarf) Tested, but the results don't decide it Evidence: 1 for, 1 against Disputed [**Debris from a planet or its moons that the star disrupted or swallowed.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/answers/ANS0D8E7EHC0WGR/debris-from-a-planet-or-its-moons-that-the-star-disrupted-or) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible [**None of these.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/answers/ANS0D8E7ES618NW/none-of-these) Not tested enough to call either way Evidence: none yet Still possible [**Swarms of debris at the Trojan points of a ringed planet on a long orbit.** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/answers/ANS0D8E7DSY0V6T/swarms-of-debris-at-the-trojan-points-of-a-ringed-planet-on) Tested, but the results don't decide it Evidence: 1 against Disputed [Show 1 more answer] ## History 1. 2016[Boyajian et al. puts forward: the fragments of a broken-up comet or planetesimal on an eccentric orbit, passing in front of the star in…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6TGR30ZB/planet-hunters-ix-kic-8462852-wheres-the-flux) 1. 2016[Bodman & Quillen: the same comet-family model does not explain the large Quarter 8 dip.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6X6P5TVA/kic-8462852-transit-of-a-large-comet-family)Against: The fragments of a broken-up comet or planetesimal on an eccentric orbit, passing in front of the star in… 1. 2016[Schaefer: the century fade, if real, would need about 648,000 giant comets in a century.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6V0C3X81/kic-8462852-faded-at-an-average-rate-of-0-164-0-013)Against: The fragments of a broken-up comet or planetesimal on an eccentric orbit, passing in front of the star in… 1. 2016[Bodman & Quillen: a cluster of about 30 comets of 100 km radius, or 300 of 10 km, reaches a 20 per cent depth; one family from…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6X6P5TVA/kic-8462852-transit-of-a-large-comet-family)For: The fragments of a broken-up comet or planetesimal on an eccentric orbit, passing in front of the star in… 1. 2017[Ballesteros et al. puts forward: swarms of debris at the Trojan points of a ringed planet on a long orbit.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6YNJ60WX/kic-8462852-will-the-trojans-return-in-2021) 1. 2017[Metzger et al. puts forward: debris from a planet or its moons that the star disrupted or swallowed.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6YDR4ZK8/secular-dimming-of-kic-8462852-following-its-consumption-of) 1. 2021[Pearce et al. puts forward: comets driven onto star-grazing orbits by the bound M-dwarf companion through the eccentric Kozai-Lidov…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6Z5650DJ/boyajians-star-b-the-co-moving-companion-to-kic-8462852-a) 1. 2021[Shestakova et al. puts forward: bodies falling towards the star and destroyed by heating, releasing dust.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6YXC4TYN/infalling-thermally-destroyed-bodies-as-a-possible) 1. 2021[Pearce et al.: the companion is bound, at 880 ± 10 au projected separation.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6Z5650DJ/boyajians-star-b-the-co-moving-companion-to-kic-8462852-a)For: Comets driven onto star-grazing orbits by the bound M-dwarf companion through the eccentric Kozai-Lidov… 1. 2023[Young & Wyatt: a Monte Carlo model gives a probability of about 1.3 × 10⁻³ of seeing one or more such stars in the Kepler…](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E6ZD025AJ/the-eccentric-kozailidov-mechanism-as-the-cause-of-exocomet)Against: Comets driven onto star-grazing orbits by the bound M-dwarf companion through the eccentric Kozai-Lidov… 1. 2026[Yang & Satarla: tESS 2-minute data in July and August 2021 (Sector 41) show no dips deeper than 0.5 per cent.](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0D8E704E6NFA/no-deep-dimming-events-in-kic-8462852-boyajians-star-from)Against: Swarms of debris at the Trojan points of a ringed planet on a long orbit. 1. 26 Oct 2026Asked on this site ## Discussion 0 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0D8E76QC6BDA/if-the-dips-are-dust-what-produces-it-in-large-short-lived%23discussion) Help with this question [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ] [ **Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0D8E76QC6BDA/if-the-dips-are-dust-what-produces-it-in-large-short-lived%23add-answer) [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ] [ **Add evidence** A result for or against an answer ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0D8E76QC6BDA/if-the-dips-are-dust-what-produces-it-in-large-short-lived%23add-evidence) [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ] [ **Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0D8E76QC6BDA/if-the-dips-are-dust-what-produces-it-in-large-short-lived%23add-question) [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ] [ **Add a source** A paper, archive record or image ](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0D8E76QC6BDA/if-the-dips-are-dust-what-produces-it-in-large-short-lived%23add-source) Where it fits Tabby's star (KIC 8462852) [**What blocks the light during the deep, irregular dips?** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0D8E76FJ6B8S/what-blocks-the-light-during-the-deep-irregular-dips)Key question · most likely clumps of fine dust orbiting the star, released by comets, planetesimals or other bodies close to it [Has the dipping stopped, or does it come in episodes?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0D8E77ET2CAQ/has-the-dipping-stopped-or-does-it-come-in-episodes)Most likely · dipping comes in episodes separated by years of quiet, with no strict period **If the dips are dust, what produces it in large, short-lived clumps?** You're here · the fragments of a broken-up comet or planetesimal on an eccentric orbit, passing in front of the star in… [Is the 1.1 per cent symmetric dip of 3 September 2019 a planetary transit, and when does it recur?](https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/tabbys-star/questions/QST0DDYGWCC8HBG/is-the-1-1-per-cent-symmetric-dip-of-3-september-2019-a)No evidence yet · no answers yet [ Ask a question under this one ]