We finally have an answer to what is happening in Betelgeuse.
Do you remember when, in 2019, this star made headlines? The sudden and anomalous decrease in its brightness alerted astronomers around the world. It seemed like something catastrophic was going to happen.
The analyzes led to the conclusion that the red supergiant Betelgeuse had literally exploded part of its surface by ejecting the material into space.
It's something we've never seen before!
That material, as it cooled, came between us and the star, obscuring it, causing a decrease in brightness.
These new observations provide clues to how these types of stars lose mass late in life, as their furnaces burn out, before exploding as supernovae.
The surprising observed behavior of Betelgeuse is not necessarily a sign of an imminent explosion, the fact is that we are observing stellar evolution in "real time".
Fascinating is an understatement!
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