As an eclipsing binary, it is actually two stars in close orbit around one another.

But dimming can also be caused by an eclipsing binary, a pair of stars in an orbit that appears edge on as seen from Earth so that each star passes in front of the other once per cycle.

Sometimes, however, the system's overall brightness dipped even when the stars were not eclipsing each other-hinting at the presence of a third body orbiting the binary pair.