Betelgeuse, “Smaller” and Closer Than Previously Thought
A new study recalculates the main parameters of Betelgeuse based on a triple series of astrophysical simulations. The result is that the red supergiant seems to be a little less gigantic than indicated by previous calculations and a little closer
Betelgeuse, the red supergiant in Orion, has always been one of the most observed and studied stars by astronomers. Despite the nearly 1,500 scientific papers that have been dedicated to it from 1850 to today, it is surprising how much our knowledge of this magnificent star is still inaccurate. In particular, Betelgeuse’s exact distance and radius have been the subject of a long series of estimates, none of which has so far managed to agree once and for all the researchers interested in the question.
A new article, published on 13 October in The Astrophysical Journal, is part of this wide and varied panorama of studies. The six authors — Meridith Joyce, Shing-Chi Leung, László Molnár, Michael Ireland, Chiaki Kobayashi, and Ken’ichi Nomoto — presented the results of one of the most in-depth and complete astrophysical simulations ever dedicated to Betelgeuse.
