The First Post-Kepler Brightness Dips of KIC 8462852
Authors: Boyajian Tabetha. S. , Alonso Roi , Ammerman Alex , Armstrong David , Ramos A. Asensio , Barkaoui K. , Beatty Thomas G. , Benkhaldoun Z. , Benni Paul , O. Bentley Rory , Berdyugin Andrei , Berdyugina Svetlana , Bergeron Serge , Bieryla Allyson , Blain Michaela G. , Blanco Alicia Capetillo , Bodman Eva H. L. , Boucher Anne , Bradley Mark , Brincat Stephen M. , Brink Thomas G. , Briol John , Brown David J. A. , Budaj J. , Burdanov A. , Cale B. , Carbo Miguel Aznar , García R. Castillo , Clark Wendy J , Clayton Geoffrey C. , Clem James L. , Coker Phillip H , Cook Evan M. , Copperwheat Chris M. , Curtis J. L. , Cutri R. M. , Cseh B. , Cynamon C. H. , Daniels Alex J. , Davenport James R. A. , Deeg Hans J. , Lorenzo Roberto De , Jaeger Thomas de , Desrosiers Jean-Bruno , Dolan John , Dowhos D. J. , Dubois Franky , Durkee R. , Dvorak Shawn , Easley Lynn , Edwards N. , Ellis Tyler G. , Erdelyi Emery , Ertel Steve , Farfán Rafael. G. , Farihi J. , Filippenko Alexei V. , Foxell Emma , Gandolfi Davide , Garcia Faustino , Giddens F. , Gillon M. , González-Carballo Juan-Luis , González-Fernández C. , Hernández J. I. González , Graham Keith A. , Greene Kenton A. , Gregorio J. , Hallakoun Na’ama , Hanyecz Ottó , Harp G. R. , Henry Gregory W. , Herrero E. , Hildbold Caleb F. , Hinzel D. , Holgado G. , Ignácz Bernadett , Ilyin Ilya , Ivanov Valentin D. , Jehin E. , Jermak Helen E. , Johnston Steve , Kafka S. , Kalup Csilla , Kardasis Emmanuel , Kaspi Shai , Kennedy Grant M. , Kiefer F. , Kielty C. L. , Kessler Dennis , Kiiskinen H. , Killestein T. L. , King Ronald A. , Kollar V. , Korhonen H. , Kotnik C. , Könyves-Tóth Réka , Kriskovics Levente , Krumm Nathan , Krushinsky Vadim , Kundra E. , Lachapelle Francois-Rene , LaCourse D. , Lake P. , Lam Kristine , Lamb Gavin P. , Lane Dave , Lau Marie Wingyee , Lewin Pablo , Lintott Chris , Lisse Carey , Logie Ludwig , Longeard Nicolas , Villanueva M. Lopez , Ludington E. Whit , Mainzer A. , Malo Lison , Maloney Chris , Mann A. , Mantero A. , Marengo Massimo , Marchant Jon , Martínez González M. J. , Masiero Joseph R. , Mauerhan Jon C. , McCormac James , McNeely Aaron , Meng Huan Y. A. , Miller Mike , Molnar Lawrence A. , Morales J. C. , Morris Brett M. , Muterspaugh Matthew W. , Nespral David , Nugent C. R. , Nugent Katherine M. , Odasso A. , O’Keeffe Derek , Oksanen A. , O’Meara John M. , Ordasi András , Osborn Hugh , Ott John J. , Parks J. R. , Perez Diego Rodriguez , Petriew Vance , Pickard R , Pál András , Plavchan P. , Pollacco Don , Nuñez F. Pozo , J. Pozuelos F. , Rau Steve , Redfield Seth , Relles Howard , Ribas Ignasi , Richards Jon , Saario Joonas L. O. , Safron Emily J. , Sallai J. Martin , Sárneczky Krisztián , Schaefer Bradley E. , Schumer Clea F. , Schwartzendruber Madison , Siegel Michael H. , Siemion Andrew P. V. , Simmons Brooke D. , Simon Joshua D. , Simón-Díaz S. , Sitko Michael L. , Socas-Navarro Hector , Sódor Á. , Starkey Donn , Steele Iain A. , Stone Geoff , Strassmeier Klaus G. , Street R. A. , Sullivan Tricia , Suomela J. , Swift J. J. , Szabó Gyula M. , Szabó Róbert , Szakáts Róbert , Szalai Tamás , Tanner Angelle M. , Toledo-Padrón B. , Tordai Tamás , Triaud Amaury H. M. J. , Turner Jake D. , Ulowetz Joseph H. , Urbanik Marian , Vanaverbeke Siegfried , Vanderburg Andrew , Vida Krisztián , Vietje Brad P. , Vinkó József , Braun K. von , Waagen Elizabeth O. , Walsh Dan , Watson Christopher A. , Weir R. C. , Wenzel Klaus , Plaza C. Westendorp , Williamson Michael W. , Wright Jason T. , Wyatt M. C. , Zheng WeiKang , Zsidi Gabriella 
Published: January 2018

We present a photometric detection of the first brightness dips of the unique variable star KIC 8462852 since the end of the Kepler space mission in 2013 May. Our regular photometric surveillance started in 2015 October, and a sequence of dipping began in 2017 May continuing on through the end of 2017, when the star was no longer visible from Earth. We distinguish four main 1%–2.5% dips, named “Elsie,” “Celeste,” “Skara Brae,” and “Angkor,” which persist on timescales from several days to weeks. Our main results so far are as follows: (i) there are no apparent changes of the stellar spectrum or polarization during the dips and (ii) the multiband photometry of the dips shows differential reddening favoring non-gray extinction. Therefore, our data are inconsistent with dip models that invoke optically thick material, but rather they are in-line with predictions for an occulter consisting primarily of ordinary dust, where much of the material must be optically thin with a size scale ≪1 μm, and may also be consistent with models invoking variations intrinsic to the stellar photosphere. Notably, our data do not place constraints on the color of the longer-term “secular” dimming, which may be caused by independent processes, or probe different regimes of a single process.