Posted May 23, 2023 at 10:54 p.m.
While we anticipated the imminent explosion of this star, scientists have better understood what really happened. Explanations.
The mysterious
In early 2020, Betelgeuse was mysteriously weakened, without scientists being able to accurately explain the phenomenon. His behavior had changed drastically around November 2019. The main hypothesis was the possibility of an imminent explosion. This star is one of the brightest objects in our galaxy. Astrophysicists have trouble accurately estimating the distance from Betelgeuse. The latest estimates place it at a distance of 500 light-years. On a cosmic scale, it’s very close.
Photo: NASA
New Paradigm
Now the red giant starts to shine brightly again. On May 16, Betelgeuse reached 142% of its usual luminosity. According to the scientists, the cycle of variation in luminosity would have been reduced from 400 to 140 days. Astrophysicists believe that the star, despite its young age, is in the early stages of depleting its internal fuel. Betelgeuse will begin its expansion phase before exploding thanks to nuclear fusion. When the red supergiant goes supernova, it will be so large that it would orbit Jupiter instead of the Sun. This highly anticipated event will take place in 100,000 years.
Source: Astrophysics