Betelgeuse is classified as a semiregular variable star, meaning that its brightness semiregularly changes. Decades of photometric data show that Betelgeuse brightens and dims in cycles , with one notable cycle vacillating on a roughly six-year timescale, and another rising and falling every days or so.
The reasons for these quasiperiodic changes in variations are somewhat unclear. Guinan suspects that Betelgeuse is dramatically dimmer now because two of its cycles are overlapping at minimal brightness.
Recent studies suggest that the star will most likely explode within the next million years, and perhaps as soon as , years from now. Or … maybe Betelgeuse has already exploded and we have not yet seen it happen.
If we do see it detonate in our sky any time soon, that means the star actually blew up sometime during the European Middle Ages, and light from the blast is just reaching Earth.
Either way, scientists are excited to keep watch on Betelgeuse and see what sorts of surprises the star still has in store. All rights reserved.
Share Tweet Email. Read This Next Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London. Animals Wild Cities Wild parakeets have taken a liking to London Love them or hate them, there's no denying their growing numbers have added an explosion of color to the city's streets. India bets its energy future on solar—in ways both small and big. Betelgeuse is the second brightest star in the constellation of Orion and it denotes his right shoulder left from our perspective. During the first half of the month you can find the great hunter by stepping outside at around PM CST and facing the southeast.
At this same time during the latter parts of the month, Orion will be located directly south. As the evening hours progress, and as the nights go by, Orion stalks ever more towards the west. He finally disappears from our evening sky around April. South of the Belt you will find the brightest star in Orion, the blue-white colored Rigel.
Orange-red Betelgeuse is the second brightest star in the constellation usually and can be found north of the belt. Use the accompanying image to help guide you, or use an astronomy app if you have one on your smartphone or other device. One of the more common misconceptions about stars is that they are all just white pinpoints of light in the sky. Sometimes these colors are best observed with a little optical aid. Try using a pair of binoculars with Betelgeuse. What do you see?
You should easily detect a distinct orange-red hue. Take a look at Rigel with the binoculars and notice its blue-white hue. Compare and contrast the colors between the two stars. Star colors are directly related to their surface temperatures. To better appreciate this relationship, imagine slowly heating a piece of iron.
As it begins to get hot, the iron starts to glow red. As it gets even hotter, the iron begins to glow orange, then yellow. Increase the temperature even more and it will finally begin to glow with a white radiance before finally transitioning to blue.
Perhaps the best constellation to view various star colors is Orion. You can easily see the star colors without a telescope or binoculars, especially red Betelgeuse and the other blue stars. With a pair of binoculars, star colors become even-more obvious.
Many have likened these colorful stars as celestial gems. Albireo, also known as Beta Cygni, is a double star system in the constellation Cygnus the Swan. With the naked eye, Albireo looks like a single star.
Through a small telescope or even binoculars, one can see two stars that astronomers call Albireo A and Albireo B. Polaris, the Pole Star in the constellation Ursa Minor the little bear , is usually easy to find, unless you have too many streetlights around you or your horizon blocks your view to the north.
You have full access to this article via your institution. Download PDF. References 1. Article Google Scholar 2. Article Google Scholar Download references. Close banner Close.
Email address Sign up. Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing. Search Search articles by subject, keyword or author.
0コメント