Is Betelgeuse About to Explode, or is it Just Dusty?

For months, Betelgeuse has been seen dimming quite a bit, even to the naked eye. Is this red giant star about to explode, or is it just dusty?

The star Betelgeuse is well-known as a red star seen as one of the shoulders of the constellation Orion. Since late autumn 2019, both amateur and professional astronomers have noted significant dimming from this tawny star.

Betelgeuse dimmed by around 60 percent over the course of just a few months beginning in October 2019, leading astronomers to speculate on the causes of it errant behavior. One idea held that this star was on the verge of exploding as a powerful supernova. However, a new study suggests this dimming may be the result of dust blocking light from the massive star.

We interview Dr. Emily Levesque of the University of Washington, lead researcher on this story, on Astronomy News with The Cosmic Companion Podcast March 17, 2020

Betelgeuse dimmed to less than half its original brightness in the closing months of 2019, as seen in this pair of images taken by the ESO’s Very Large Telescope in January and December 2019. Image credit: ESO/M. Montargès et al.

Cool, Daddy-O, but Still Really Hot!

New images of Betelgeuse created by astronomers from the University of Washington (UW) and Lowell Observatory in Arizona accurately measured the temperature of the surface of that star. The researchers found the stellar surface is significantly warmer than expected if the star were cooling in preparation for a supernova.