Scientists Finally Solve Mystery Of Betelgeuse Star’s Dimming

A group of scientists was able to uncover the mystery behind the decreasing brightness of the red supergiant star Betelgeuse. Based on their findings, this massive star, which is relatively near Earth, is not in danger of going supernova anytime soon.

Betelgeuse is located in the constellation Orion and is about 700 light-years from Earth. It is regarded as one of the brightest stars in the sky.

The red supergiant gained the attention of the public in the past couple of years after scientists reported that its brightness has started to fluctuate. From 2019 to 2020, the star’s brightness dimmed significantly. The change in its appearance was enough to be spotted by the human eye.

The star’s mysterious dimming was initially attributed to Betelgeuse’s impending doom. As noted by scientists, the star is already about 8 to 8.5 million years old, which means it has already reached the final stages of its lifespan.

Based on observations, the star already ran out of its main fuel source, which was hydrogen. Currently, the star is fusing helium into carbon and oxygen. Once the star completely runs out of energy, it will most likely collapse and trigger a powerful explosion.

As indicated in previous reports, the star’s dimming could be a sign of the star’s fluctuating temperature, which could mean that it’s getting ready to explode. Given its distance from Earth, the planet will most likely witness Betelgeuse’s supernova. Scientists predict that star’s explosion will be so bright that it will turn night into day on Earth.

Although the star is still on its way to creating a powerful supernova, this most likely won’t happen anytime soon. Through recent observations, scientists were able to conclude that the star’s dimming brightness had nothing to do with its current status. It also did not mean that the star was getting ready to explode.

Instead, the scientists learned that Betelgeuse simply started shedding material from its surface, which is a natural stellar phenomenon. As noted by the scientists, the discarded material turned into a cloud of dust around the star and obscured its brightness.

“We see this all the time in red supergiants, and it's a normal part of their life cycle,” lead scientist Emily Levesque of the University of Washington said in a press release. “Red supergiants will occasionally shed material from their surfaces, which will condense around the star as dust. As it cools and dissipates, the dust grains will absorb some of the light heading toward us and block our view.”