Astrology

Betelgeuse remains unlikely to explode soon despite decades of supernova speculation

Betelgeuse, the reddish-orange star marking the shoulder of Orion, probably will not go supernova anytime soon, despite years of speculation about its fate, Star Walk reports. The star remains a popular target for observers from September through March, with the best viewing in December, according to the outlet.

Published

The 2019 dimming that sparked the rumors#

Speculation about an imminent explosion took off in 2019, when Betelgeuse suddenly dropped to about 40 percent of its typical brightness, only to climb back to normal levels by early 2020, Star Walk reports. Many initially believed the star was on the verge of exploding, but that theory was later shown to be wrong, according to the outlet.

The dimming turned out to be caused by a cloud of dust the star had expelled, which temporarily blocked the view of Betelgeuse rather than reflecting any internal change, Star Walk reports.

Why a Betelgeuse supernova would still be rare#

A supernova marks the final stage of a massive star's life, or the moment a white dwarf undergoes runaway nuclear fusion, and leaves behind a neutron star, a black hole, or a diffuse nebula, Wikipedia states. Its optical output at peak can briefly rival the light put out by a whole galaxy, fading over weeks or months.

If Betelgeuse did explode, the event would shine as brightly as a half-moon and remain visible during the day for several months, Star Walk reports. A nearby star last went supernova in 1604, the outlet notes, and such an explosion would represent humanity's first chance to witness a supernova from such a close distance.

Vietnam.vn notes that determining Betelgeuse's exact distance from Earth is difficult; the Hipparcos satellite once estimated it at approximately 430 light-years, a figure cited in the archival work of astronomer Patrick Moore, though considerable uncertainty remains around that number.

A separate star system may explode sooner#

Astronomers studying a binary system called V Sagittae, about 10,000 light-years from Earth, say a white dwarf there is consuming its larger companion star so quickly that the system is likely to meet a dramatic end much sooner than Betelgeuse, BBC Sky at Night Magazine reports. Phil Charles of Southampton University, one of the study's authors, said the extreme brightness comes from the white dwarf turning accreted matter into what he called "a blazing inferno."

The explosion might rival the moon's brightness, though its timing remains uncertain and could span anywhere from several years to multiple decades, according to the magazine. Researcher Pablo Rodriguez-Gil said the matter accumulating on the white dwarf "is likely to produce a nova outburst in the coming years, during which V Sagittae would become visible with the naked eye."

Discover more