Astronomers and stargazers have been fascinated with the bright red supergiant star in the constellation Orion for centuries. Lately, though, the big star has been acting strangely, and scientists are overhauling their understanding of its life cycle. The latest theory makes Betelgeuse a cannibal-super, having eaten a companion star, which could be behind its bizarre dimming and flickering over the past year. This stellar banquet might also be putting on an appearance that Betelgeuse is about to be a supernova, an event spectacular but in all probability could not materialize for thousands of years.
Mystery Dimming of Betelgeuse
During the end of 2019 and at the start of 2020, Betelgeuse has started to mysteriously dim, and faded light by more than two-thirds over the course of a few months. This sudden and dramatic change sparked much speculation that Betelgeuse was going to explode in a supernova. This rare event would brighten up the night sky and appear visible even during the day. Expected to go supernova sometime in the next 100,000 years, this dimming was unexpected and spurred scientists to look further into this event.
Early theories ranged from cloudy gas clouds obscuring
the star to surface activity cooling Betelgeuse momentarily. But the latest
findings suggest something far more dramatic: Betelgeuse may have swallowed a
companion star.
The Companion Star Theory
A new theory, developed by a team of astrophysicists after observing the erratic behavior of Betelgeuse, suggests that it would be possible that Betelgeuse was part of a binary star system wherein two stars orbited about a common center of mass. Over time, as Betelgeuse expanded into a supergiant, its gravitational pull would have already drawn the other star closer to it. The end result could have been when the companion star had been absorbed into the outer layers of Betelgeuse, and this explains the dramatic changes in brightness.
If the envelope of Betelgeuse were incorporated by its companion, its internal structure and therefore its behavior would likely be vastly altered. Such instability could cause irregular pulsations and brightness variations, as has been observed. Even if it isn't close to exploding for millennia, this event might also explain why Betelgeuse appears to be reaching the end of its life.
What Is Star Merging?
When two stars merge, especially if one is as large as Betelgeuse and the companion star much smaller, the dynamics involved can create much disruption. When the additional mass and material fall, this causes a temporary increase in brightness or, in some cases, considerable dimming as seen in the case of Betelgeuse. This mixing of companion star material with the Betelgeuse outer layers can cause shock waves and even surface instability along with other phenomena that make it appear like the star is significantly changing.
For Betelgeuse, such effects might endow it with the appearance of the final pre-supernova star, although scientists are warning people against believing that this means Betelgeuse is ready to explode anytime soon.
Supernova Watch: When Will Betelgeuse Explode?
While interesting theories about Betelgeuse's probable soon-to-be supernova have been floating around, since it's roughly 640 light-years from Earth, scientists have expressed that we are overestimating the end that is nearly here. The actual consumption by the star of a companion is dramatic but does not necessarily mean that this is a supernova, even though it is an event most likely to happen according to evolutionary models.
And indeed, betelgeuse is still likely to go supernova eventually - but that event is tens of thousands, or hundreds of thousands of years away. If it ever happens the explosion will be one of the brightest events visible from Earth, outshining the full moon and possibly even visible during the day for a few weeks.
What does this all mean for our understanding of stars?
That Betelgeuse has potentially devoured a companion star could thus be a crucial game-changer in the field of astrophysics; in fact, binary and even multi-star systems abound in the galaxy, and many stars that currently appear solitary have likely consumed their companions at some stage in the past, changing the evolution and behavior of those stars.
These mergers are of great interest to astronomers, because they hold the key to understanding the final stages of stellar evolution and the lead-up to supernova events. Betelgeuse might be finally studied in this new context to help scientists identify a similar star that is on the verge of consuming companions or about to become a supernova.
Conclusion: A Stellar Feast and Its Implication
This new theory that Betelgeuse has consumed a companion star makes for a pretty good explanation for the star's recent dimming and erratic behavior. When this event occurs, it will appear that Betelgeuse is on the verge of supernova, but science now warns experts that the star, which appeared imminent just a few months ago, is likely still far from the real explosion. In the meanwhile, the ever-unfolding saga of the betel geuse star continues to enthrall astronomers as well as the general public as they all try to appreciate these elaborate life cycles of very massive stars in the vast space that surrounds our Earth.
Whether or not I am around to witness the supernova explosion of Betelgeuse, the scientific puzzles surrounding this supergiant superstar continue to yield rich information about our universe.
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