Betelgeuse
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star in the constellation Orion, typically the tenth-brightest star visible from Earth. It is a colossal stellar giant with a radius between 640 and 764 times that of the Sun—so enormous that if placed at the center of our solar system, its surface would extend beyond the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. Betelgeuse matters to astronomers because it is expected to explode as a supernova within the next 100,000 years, which will shine as bright as the half-Moon for more than three months. This nearby supernova will provide an invaluable opportunity to study the stellar death process. Additionally, Betelgeuse was the first star beyond our Sun whose surface could be photographed directly.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org: “Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star in the equatorial constellation of Orion. It is usually the tenth-brightest star in the night sky”
- en.wikipedia.org: “With a radius between 640 and 764 times that of the Sun, if it were at the center of the Solar System, its surface would lie beyond the asteroid belt and it would engulf the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars.”
- en.wikipedia.org: “is expected to end its evolution with a supernova explosion, most likely within the next 100,000 years. When Betelgeuse detonates as a brilliant type II supernova, it will shine as bright as the half-Moon for more than three months”
- en.wikipedia.org: “Betelgeuse became the first extrasolar star whose photosphere's angular size was measured, in 1920, and whose image was resolved, in 1995.”