When will Betelgeuse go supernova?
Betelgeuse, the sky’s most famous red supergiant, is well studied but poorly understood
Betelgeuse, a prominent red supergiant in the Orion constellation, has long captivated astronomers with its enigmatic nature. This massive star, more than a dozen times the mass of our sun, emits tens of thousands of times more light than our star, yet it is also nearing the end of its life, destined to become a supernova. Despite extensive study, the star's behavior remains mysterious, with questions surrounding its color changes over time and the source of its recent dimming.
Recently, astronomers detected hints of a second star orbiting Betelgeuse, a discovery that could help unravel the star's complexities. This companion star, Betelgeuse B, orbits the supergiant at a distance of about 1.3 billion kilometers and is three times more massive than our sun. When Betelgeuse A, the primary star, reaches the end of its life and undergoes a supernova explosion, Betelgeuse B is expected to be flung outwards, likely surviving the event.
Although the supernova will be incredibly luminous and release energy equivalent to what the sun will emit over its entire lifetime, the impact on Betelgeuse B is expected to be temporary and minimal due to the star's sturdy construction.
Written by urgent.news from Scientific American's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
