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posted by Fnord666 on Tuesday February 18 2020, @04:11PM   Printer-friendly
from the not-the-brightest-star-in-the-galaxy dept.

New image shows Betelgeuse isn't dimming evenly:

From Earth's perspective, one of the brightest stars in the sky is the red supergiant Betelgeuse. Found in the constellation of Orion, it's large enough and close enough that when it's destroyed in an inevitable supernova, it will put on a spectacular light show for anyone who happens to be on Earth to see it. So when the star started dimming late last year, speculation rose that the show was about to start.

Because Betelgeuse is so large and so close, it's actually possible to resolve some details of its surface rather than simply seeing it as a point source of light. Some astronomers have used the Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory to do just that, and they've found something extremely weird: Betelgeuse's dimming isn't even.

As you can see in the before-and-after images above, Betelgeuse was more or less spherical about a year ago. By December, it was most decidedly not. While the upper hemisphere of the star looked much as it had a year earlier, the lower portion looked diffuse and distorted, with at least two regions of distinct brightnesses.

What in the world could be going on here? Betelgeuse has always been a variable star (though far less variable than at present), and there are a couple of potential causes. Both are related to the star's enormous size, which means that its surface layers are only distantly and indirectly related to the fusion reactions that are taking place in its core.

Previously: Waiting for Betelgeuse: What's Up With the Tempestuous Star?


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 2) by Sourcery42 on Tuesday February 18 2020, @05:19PM (8 children)

    by Sourcery42 (6400) on Tuesday February 18 2020, @05:19PM (#959595)

    I can't help thinking Ford and Zaphod are somehow responsible

    Starting Score:    1  point
    Karma-Bonus Modifier   +1  

    Total Score:   2  
  • (Score: 2) by theluggage on Tuesday February 18 2020, @05:47PM

    by theluggage (1797) on Tuesday February 18 2020, @05:47PM (#959602)

    Don't panic, but the great collapsing hrung disaster is upon us!

    (Don't expect an adequately explored reason for this post...)

  • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 18 2020, @05:50PM (5 children)

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 18 2020, @05:50PM (#959604)

    Nope was the Vogons. The plans have been on display on proxima centauri for 3 months so how you don't know is anyones guess.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 18 2020, @05:57PM (4 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 18 2020, @05:57PM (#959608)

      Maybe he was busy listening to Vogon Poetry.

      • (Score: 2) by edIII on Tuesday February 18 2020, @09:24PM (3 children)

        by edIII (791) on Tuesday February 18 2020, @09:24PM (#959666)

        Maybe he was busy listening to dying from Vogon Poetry.

        --
        Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
        • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday February 18 2020, @09:43PM (2 children)

          by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday February 18 2020, @09:43PM (#959671) Journal

          I tried writing Vogon poetry 2008-07-23, but no audience members survived my efforts.

          The troll is contemptible lonely and sad
          pathetic retard angry stupid and mad
          In vain effort its pain to somehow be consoling
          fills its days and its nights with down modding and trolling

          Lacking creativity
          it substitutes vulgarity
          The lowest form of an attack
          from a troll whose heart is dark and black

          Each day many nyms they are used as its tool,
          it just cannot know how it looks such a fool.

          (note "down modding" was "star clicking" in my original posting.)

          --
          People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
          • (Score: 2) by edIII on Tuesday February 18 2020, @10:33PM

            by edIII (791) on Tuesday February 18 2020, @10:33PM (#959693)

            You totally failed though. I survived!

            Though for a moment, I did fade. Had to punch myself in the nuts to escape.

            Keep trying :)

            --
            Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
          • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 18 2020, @10:57PM

            by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 18 2020, @10:57PM (#959696)

            Oh, I don't know, the metaphysical imagery was really particularly effective...well, some of it..

  • (Score: 2) by coolgopher on Wednesday February 19 2020, @12:39AM

    by coolgopher (1157) on Wednesday February 19 2020, @12:39AM (#959719)

    It's just a Vogon construction fleet. Not their fault you're not keeping abreast of local developments.