In late , it was reported that the brightness of Betelgeuse had decreased significantly and that it may be approaching supernova. More recently though, studies suggest that the star has stopped dimming and may actually be beginning to brighten. Red supergiants however are stars that are close to the end of their life and it is estimated by astronomers that Betelgeuse might end its life in a supernova explosion in the next ten to hundred thousand years.
When this happens, it will send its store of heavy elements into our galaxy. The radius of Betelgeuse is thought to be around a thousand times greater than the sun and would reach beyond the orbit of Jupiter if it was placed at the center of our solar system. The following image by the European Southern Observatory shows the size comparison of Betelgeuse compared to the planets in our solar system.
The overlaid annotation shows how large the star is compared to our Solar System. The Star Betelgeuse Where is Betelgeuse located? Distance to Earth: One particularly intriguing observation found a massive hotspot, the cause of which is still unknown, according to the European Space Agency. During its current dimming spree, you can track Betelgeuse's activity and submit your observations to the American Association of Variable Star Observers to help the group gather more information on its variability.
More details on how to participate are here. Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter howellspace. Follow us on Twitter Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more!
And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community space. Elizabeth Howell is a contributing writer for Space. She is the author or co-author of several books on space exploration. Elizabeth holds a Ph. She also holds a bachelor of journalism degree from Carleton University in Canada, where she began her space-writing career in Besides writing, Elizabeth teaches communications at the university and community college level, and for government training schools.
To see her latest projects, follow Elizabeth on Twitter at howellspace. Elizabeth Howell.
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