Betelgeuse: The Great Dimming and When it Might Supernova

Betelgeuse has been a long-time favorite of astronomers to observe. Located in the Orion constellation, Betelgeuse is visible to the naked eye as a reddish star in clear conditions. Betelgeuse sits some 700 light-years away from Earth but appears so bright because it is a red supergiant star near the end of its lifespan (more on that later). In late 2019, astronomers began to notice that Betelgeuse looked notably smaller in the night sky. Previous observations from over 200 years of data on the star indicated a relatively predictable 400-day cycle of pulsing. Many stars, especially those in the later stages of life, tend to experience periods of fluctuation like this as their gases expand outwards before being pulled back in by the star’s own gravitational pull. However, the sudden dimming of Betelgeuse by about 60% was much more than expected. This period of dimming lasted until April 2020, when its brightness returned to its normal. <a href="https://beccajean.medium.com/the-mystery-of-betelgeuse-the-great-dimming-and-when-it-might-supernova-ef2bdeeee586">Learn More</a>