Astronomers discover companion star to Betelgeuse, solving dimming mystery
Astronomers recently found a companion star orbiting the famous red supergiant Betelgeuse, thanks to the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii.
This discovery solves the mystery behind Betelgeuse's weird six-year dimming cycle and its regular brightness changes.
'BetelBuddy' is much fainter than Betelgeuse
Nicknamed "BetelBuddy," this new star is much fainter than Betelgeuse and weighs about 1.5 times as much as our Sun.
It's still a young, hot star that hasn't started burning hydrogen yet.
Its gravity messes with Betelgeuse's light and surrounding dust, which explains why Betelgeuse sometimes looks dimmer from Earth.
The 2 stars probably formed together around 10 million years ago
BetelBuddy orbits pretty close—about four times Earth's distance from the Sun—right inside Betelgeuse's huge outer layers.
The two stars probably formed together around 10 million years ago, but eventually, BetelBuddy will spiral into Betelgeuse in about 10,000 years.
For now, this discovery gives astronomers fresh clues about how giant stars and their partners evolve.
When to see BetelBuddy?
You can see bright orange Betelgeuse with your own eyes on winter nights (Northern Hemisphere), but spotting tiny BetelBuddy takes a serious telescope.
In November 2027, it'll be at its farthest point from Betelgeuse—a great chance for astronomers to get a closer look!