Science is Fun Fridays!
The internet was buzzing about Betelgeuse yesterday.
The giant red star makes up the shoulder of the Orion constellation, and is normally among the 10 brightest stars in the sky. Astronomers have noticed that it started dimming in October, and is now not even in the top 20 brightest stars.
Betelgeuse is a variable star, so the dimming in itself isn't that strange. But the rate, and the amount, of change has scientists wondering - might it be heading towards supernova?
Betelgeuse is approximately 8.5 million years old and is about 642 lightyears away, so we're seeing the star as it was in 1377.
The star is so huge that if it replaced the Sun, it would be so long to Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, the asteroid belt, and maybe even Jupiter.
When the star does explode, which isn't necessarily any time soon, it will definitely be visible from Earth for a few months.
As you can see, Betelgeuse is not symmetrical. It is believed that this bloating, as well as a mottled surface, contribute to the shrink and swell of the star, which causes it to darken and brighten.
One astronomer believes the star is in a particular phase and expects increased dimming for another couple weeks before brightening again - but if it continues to fade...."All bets are off."
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