European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope reveals Betelgeuse b companion
Astronomers just uncovered a hidden companion star, Betelgeuse B, orbiting the famous red supergiant Betelgeuse about 548 light-years from Earth.
Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope, they found that Betelgeuse B is roughly 2.6 to 3.1 times the mass of our sun and orbits at a distance similar to Saturn's path around our sun.
Faint companion complicates Betelgeuse supernova predictions
Betelgeuse B is so faint it stayed under the radar until now, even though Betelgeuse is one of the easiest stars to recognize in the night sky.
This discovery makes predicting when and how Betelgeuse will explode as a supernova much trickier, since having a companion could change how it evolves and loses mass.
Scientists are planning further observations, including a follow-up observation in 2027, to figure out what this means for one of space's biggest future fireworks shows.