Betelgeuse's atmosphere is becoming spotty and asymmetric—and a nearby companion could be shaping the pattern
For the first time since its dramatic dimming in 2020, a team of astronomers has observed the inner atmosphere of Betelgeuse using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). Led by Bill Dent at the University of Manchester, the team found that the giant star's inner atmosphere has become increasingly uneven and asymmetric, in a way that could be connected to a far smaller companion star.
Astronomers have observed the inner atmosphere of Betelgeuse, the sky's 10th brightest star, using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). For the first time since its dramatic dimming in 2020, the team led by Bill Dent at the University of Manchester found the giant star's inner atmosphere has become increasingly uneven and asymmetric.
This could be linked to a nearby companion star. The findings, which could reveal deeper insights into Betelgeuse as it approaches the end of its life, will soon be published in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Written by urgent.news from Phys.org's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
