Brief
Amateur astronomer uses AI to flag possible new exoplanet around TIC 4206066
The AI‑driven analysis revealed a three‑day dimming pattern that could indicate a 1.4‑Earth‑size planet, though alternative explanations remain.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Spain‑based product manager and hobbyist astronomer Pavel Rabtsevich applied artificial‑intelligence agents to NASA’s TESS data and identified a repeating dimming signal from star TIC 4206066, located about 116 light‑years away in Orion.
What happened
While reviewing publicly available TESS observations of more than 126,000 target stars, Rabtsevich’s custom AI algorithm highlighted TIC 4206066. The star’s light curve showed a dip lasting roughly two hours every 3.18 days. Further digging uncovered 22 additional dimming events matching the same interval.
What the reports add
The Scientific American article notes that the signal aligns with moments when TESS fired its thrusters in 2018, a factor that could mimic planetary transits. Rabtsevich stresses that the evidence is a “repeating transit‑like signal in open data, with a plausible planetary explanation and alternatives that aren’t yet ruled out.” He also describes the AI workflow: multiple agents wrote code, executed it, and cross‑checked results, while he retained overall research control.
What was said
Rabtsevich is quoted saying, “Models agreeing with each other isn’t evidence. What I rely on is a signal anyone can measure, calculations anyone can rerun, control samples, and rules published before the next data sets arrive.” Former Yale planet‑hunter Greg Laughlin, now in the AI industry, called the potential planet “solid” and praised the collaboration as “a great example of human‑AI teamwork.”
How it came about
The discovery follows a series of recent AI‑driven exoplanet searches, including Felo News’ own coverage of Rabtsevich’s earlier AI‑flagged candidate (see Amateur astronomer uses AI tools to flag possible new exoplanet around TIC 4206066). The approach builds on advances in large language models such as Claude and Codex, which have proven useful for scanning astronomical literature for overlooked signals.
Key facts
- Pavel Rabtsevich used AI agents to analyze TESS data for over 126,000 stars. (scientificamerican.com)
- The AI highlighted star TIC 4206066, showing a 2‑hour dimming every 3.18 days. (scientificamerican.com)
- If confirmed, the candidate would be a super‑Earth about 1.4 times Earth’s size, 116 light‑years away. (scientificamerican.com)
- The dimming events sometimes coincide with TESS thruster firings, a possible false‑positive source. (scientificamerican.com)
- Greg Laughlin described the finding as a solid example of human‑AI teamwork. (scientificamerican.com)
Sources
- [1] scientificamerican.com — originally reported as “Amateur astronomer harnesses AI to find a possible hidden exoplanet”
