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Has the dipping stopped, or does it come in episodes?

Asked 26 Oct 2026 by ·Part of What blocks the light during the deep, irregular dips?·4 answers·0·0 following
Most likely: dipping comes in episodes separated by years of quiet, with no strict periodAhead on the evidence, not yet confirmed. It needs two reviews to be accepted.

Where it stands

Four answers have been proposed. Dipping comes in episodes separated by years of quiet, with no strict period. leads, with evidence 1 for: partly supported by its tests. Three are still possible.

Why it matters

The star dipped in Kepler data in 2011 and 2013 and again in 2017, then showed no deep dips in TESS data from 2019 to 2022⁠[1]⁠[2]. Whether dipping is episodic, periodic or ending bears directly on the comet, Trojan and intervening-cloud readings.

Answers 4

Evidence: 1 for
Most likely
None of these.
Not tested enough to call either way
Evidence: none yet
Still possible
Evidence: 2 for, 1 against
Still possible
The dipping recurs on a long orbital period.
Failed a test; not refuted outright
Evidence: 1 against
Disputed

History

  1. Wright & Sigurdsson: the deepest dip timings are consistent with random.Against: The dipping recurs on a long orbital period.
  2. Ballesteros et al. puts forward: the dipping recurs on a long orbital period.
  3. Boyajian et al.: dips occurred in the Kepler years and again in 2017, with quiet between.For: Dipping comes in episodes separated by years of quiet, with no strict period.
  4. Yang & Satarla puts forward: dipping comes in episodes separated by years of quiet, with no strict period.
  5. Yang & Satarla puts forward: the activity that produced the dips has ended or declined.
  6. Yang & Satarla: a 1.1 per cent symmetric dip on 3 September 2019 in TESS Sector 15Against: The activity that produced the dips has ended or declined.
  7. Cristina Madurga-Favieres: a 1.1 per cent symmetric dip on 3 September 2019 in TESS Sector 15Against: The activity that produced the dips has ended or declined.
  8. Wei Zhu: a 1.1 per cent symmetric dip on 3 September 2019 in TESS Sector 15Against: The activity that produced the dips has ended or declined.
  9. Yang & Satarla: no dips deeper than 0.5 per cent shorter than about half a day in TESS data from July 2019 to September 2022For: The activity that produced the dips has ended or declined.
  10. Session 1: took the question up again, ran one test and found three results bearing on its answers
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