Subscribe now

Letter: When a Dyson sphere goes supernova

Published 4 June 2025

From Matthew Stevens, Sydney, Australia

A solid Dyson sphere built around a star to capture all its power would be unstable, just like one made of many satellites. Even a rigid sphere with its star perfectly centred would experience gradual drift, necessitating occasional corrections, which might be visible as bursts of radiation. Without such correction, it would eventually intersect with its star, to end with a bang(17 May, p 10).

Issue no. 3546 published 7 June 2025

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox! We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop