A Dyson sphere is a hypothetical megastructure that encompasses a star and captures a large percentage of its power output. The concept is a thought experiment that attempts to imagine how a spacefaring civilization would meet its energy requirements once those requirements exceed what can be generated from the home planet’s resources alone. Because only a tiny fraction of a star’s energy emissions reaches the surface of any orbiting planet, building structures encircling a star would enable a civilization to harvest far more energy.

  • htrayl@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    …no, they won’t know for a few hundred years due to the actual speed of light and vast distances of space.

    • NeatoBuilds@lemmy.today
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      4 days ago

      Unless they have some fancy alien sensor with quantum entangled particles so they get an alert instantly

    • DragonTypeWyvern
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      4 days ago

      It’s a Stellaris reference. Once you can build Dyson spheres there’s a chance your (also FTL capable) neighbors complain about you blocking their sacred star.

      I usually just give them money and they forgive me.