New research suggests that Betelgeuse may have consumed a smaller companion star. The red supergiant star brightened by almost 50% earlier this year, which triggered speculation that it may go supernova. However, the new research suggests that there might be a different explanation for these fluctuations.
A study published in July 2020 shows that it’s possible that Betelgeuse ate and digested another star within the past few hundred thousand years. This would explain at least one weird thing about it, and we know such stellar mergers can happen.
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star that’s almost 650 light-years away in the Orion constellation. It appears very small from Earth because of its location from Earth.
But new research suggests there’s something completely different happening with Betelgeuse that has nothing to do with its recent fluctuations. It may have consumed a smaller companion star. Listen, when a star like Betelguese brightens and dims to such great extents, humans are bound to sit up and take notice
Betelgeuse is red because of its low temperature. It has a surface temperature of 6,000 F, which is much lower than the Sun’s temperature of 10,000 F.
Betelgeuse was once a blue-white O-type star. The bigger a star is, the brighter it shines and the hotter it burns. However, larger stars also run out of hydrogen faster and turn into red giants sooner. Betelgeuse changed from a yellow-orange color to red about 2,000 years ago.
Betelgeuse is the second-brightest star in the Orion constellation. It’s 500 times bigger than the Sun and emits 16,000 times more visible light
Betelgeuse is already a red giant. It’s in the final stage of its life, fusing helium to carbon.
Red giant stars are stars that have finished burning hydrogen in their cores. The core collapses and the outer layers of the star puff out. Betelgeuse is 12 times heavier than the Sun, so it turned into a red giant more quickly. The Sun won’t become a red giant until it’s 10 billion years old.
Betelgeuse is nearing the end of its life. It’s one of the largest stars visible to the naked eye. It’s usually the tenth-brightest star in the night sky
Astronomers say that Betelgeuse has about 100,000 years left before it becomes a supernova. This is “soon” on a cosmic timeframe, not a human one.
Betelgeuse is in the late stage of core carbon burning. The carbon burning phase for a massive star like Betelgeuse lasts around 1,000 years. One team of astronomers suggests that it could actually happen in the next few decades. However, most recent studies agree that a Betelgeuse supernova won’t happen in our lifetimes.
Betelgeuse’s supernova is not expected to cause direct harm to life on Earth. However, it could potentially have some atmospheric effects. The explosion would release a burst of ultraviolet radiation, which could deplete the ozone layer temporarily.
When Betelgeuse dies, it will explode as a supernova. It will either become a neutron star or a black hole.
Supernova outburst
- Betelgeuse will briefly shine brighter than any other star or planet. It might become as bright as a full moon, and possibly visible in broad daylight.
- The supernova will release a burst of ultraviolet radiation, which could deplete the ozone layer temporarily.
- The explosion will release an enormous amount of energy, with estimates suggesting it could release as much energy as the sun will over its entire lifetime.
- The radiation could damage DNA and other cellular structures, potentially leading to cell death and mutations to cancer. However, the Earth’s atmosphere would likely shield us for most of this radiation.
Neutron star or black hole
- If the remains are less than 2–3 solar masses in the central region, then Betelgeuse will become a neutron star. It will appear as a pulsar, as seen from the Earth.
- If the explosion remains are more than 3 solar masses in the central region, a black hole formation is possible.
Universe discoveries 