Possible Discovery of Betelgeuse's Companion Star Explained
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layer8
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Summary
A team of astronomers announced the possible discovery of a small companion star orbiting the red supergiant Betelgeuse, which could explain its brightness fluctuations over 6-year periods and shed light on similar stars' pulsations.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledThe red supergiant Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the sky, may have a small companion star in orbit around it, a team of astronomers announced today.
If confirmed, the companion would explain why Betelgeuse waxes and wanes in brightness over 6-year periods and could help explain why similar stars also pulsate, the researchers report in
Small star could crash into red supergiant in the next 10,000 years
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