Why did the Betelgeuse star get dimmer?

22 Jun 2021

Image depicting why the Betelgeuse star got dimmer

Why did the Betelgeuse star get dimmer?

Why did the Betelgeuse star get dimmer?Last year, we read that the star, Betelgeuse, seemed to be dimming mysteriously. Its shape also seemed to be changing. So, astronomers thought that maybe, it was about to become a supernova (exploding star).

Recently, scientists finally figured out why it was getting dimmer. It was due to a mass loss incident.

In this incident, the star expelled a clump of gas on the southern portion of its surface. This led to the portion developing a cold patch. The gas expelled then became stardust, which temporarily blocked much of Betelgeuse's light. Hence, it looked dimmer to us!

So, Betelgeuse is not likely going supernova right now. However, again, it is a very big star and it will burn out quite fast. While we may not be around to see it, Betelgeuse is expected to go supernova in the next 100,000 years. Such stars also explode without warning sometimes.
What do we know about the star?
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star, roughly 700 light-years away from our own solar system. It is the tenth-brightest star in the night sky.

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Last year, we read that the star, Betelgeuse, seemed to be dimming mysteriously. Its shape also seemed to be changing. So, astronomers thought that maybe, […]

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