Betelgeuse(Red Supergiant Star) : Research
Recent research has unveiled a surprising discovery about Betelgeuse that, the star’s enigmatic brightening and dimming patterns may be caused by an unseen companion star.
- Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star that forms the left shoulder of the constellation of Orion.
- It is one of the brightest stars in the night sky and one of the largest stars ever discovered.
- The star is approximately 650 light-years from Earth.
- The star is nearing the end of its life span, and when it dies, the resulting explosion will be bright enough to see during the day for weeks.
- It is one of the largest known stars, measuring more than 700 million miles (1.2 billion kilometers) in diameter.
- It is known for its periodic dimming and brightening up.
- It exhibits two distinct pulsation patterns: a short-term cycle of about a year and a longer six-year cycle.
- The researchers concluded that the longer cycle, known as a long secondary period, is likely caused by the Betelbuddy’s (companion star) orbital motion through Betelgeuse’s surrounding dust.
