Back at the end of 2019, betelgeuse, supergiant red that formed the shoulder of the constellation of Orion, began to suddenly darken. Initially, some astronomers thought the star was dying and it would explode in supernova, but it never happened. Instead, betelgeuse returns to normal brightness.
In a new paper published in nature, scientists said the “big dimming” betelgeuse was caused in part by the gas bubble incurred by stars. Using a very large telescope (VLT) in Chile, Miguel Montarges from Observatoire de Paris, France and his team analyzed Supergiant Red images.
“Our overall idea is that there is a cool point in the star, because of a decrease in local temperatures, then causes the previous gas to condense into dust,” said Emily Cannon, one of the research writers, told the BBC. “So, the cool point on the surface will initially make the star look dimmer to us. But then this dust condensation will add a quick decline from the star brightness.”
Unfortunately for those who hope to see supernova in their lifetime, the incident is not believed to be an indication of Betelgeuse which is close to the end of life. When speaking in cosmic terms, it is something that can be tens, and even hundreds, thousands of years away,
