Astronomers Capture First-Ever Image of Betelgeuse’s Companion Star

Quick summary

• Astronomers have used the Gemini North telescope’s speckle imager ‘Alopeke to capture direct images of Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star, and its newly discovered companion star.
• Betelgeuse is located approximately 724 light-years away in the constellation Orion and has a radius around 1,400 times larger than the Sun.
• The star emits more light than 100,000 Suns and is nearing the end of its life span. Its eventual explosion would result in a visible supernova observable for weeks during daytime.
• Research indicates Betelgeuse’s six-year variability might be caused by its companion star – now confirmed to exist through high-resolution imaging.
• The companion-Alpha Ori B-has an estimated mass of around 1.5 solar masses and appears to be an A- or B-type pre-main-sequence blue-white star without hydrogen burning in its core.
• Alpha Ori B is faint compared to Betelgeuse and orbits within Betelgeuse’s extended outer atmosphere at about four times the Earth-Sun distance.
• This marks the first successful direct detection of such a close-in stellar companion orbiting a supergiant due to advanced capabilities provided by Gemini North and speckle imaging techniques.

[Image: Betelgeuse (right) alongside its faint stellar companion (left). Credit: International Gemini observatory / NOIRLab / NSF / AURA / M. Zamani.]

!Betelgeuse image

Indian Opinion Analysis

This important discovery enhances our understanding of massive stars nearing their final evolutionary stages. By confirming that previously hypothesized variability stems from a close-in stellar companion, it underscores the importance of cutting-edge observational tools like ‘Alopeke for unraveling long-standing astronomical mysteries. India’s scientific community can draw inspiration from such advancements as they enhance their own capabilities in space exploration through projects like ISRO’s Astrosat telescope.

the discovery also underscores interdisciplinary collaboration among global institutions; something India actively participates in via international partnerships for astronomy research. As interest surges globally regarding monumental celestial events like supernovae, this study expands predictive frameworks which benefit space-monitoring initiatives worldwide-including those tied to potential impacts on Earth’s surroundings from nearby cosmic phenomena.Read More: Link