Astronomers have confirmed the existence of a secret companion star orbiting Betelgeuse, one of the brightest objects in the night sky. The newly discovered “buddy” star is nicknamed “Siwarha,” or “her bracelet,” due to its unique observation by the Gemini North telescope on Hawaii’s Mauna Kea.
Researchers used a novel technique to find evidence of the companion, opening and shutting the telescope imager in just 14 milliseconds to avoid saturating their detectors. The brief glimpse of the supposed companion shows it is 1.5 times the mass of the sun and orbits Betelgeuse once every six years.
The young star is relatively close to Betelgeuse but will not survive for long, with its orbit expected to be subsumed by the larger star within 10,000 years. The discovery helps explain why Betelgeuse exhibits a regular pattern of brightening and dimming about every six years.
This finding builds upon previous modeling studies that suggested Betelgeuse had a companion. The new observations are still not conclusive but offer compelling evidence. Further confirmation is needed before the International Astronomical Union can officially approve the nickname “Siwarha.”
Source: https://www.livescience.com/space/astronomy/astronomers-share-best-ever-evidence-that-betelgeuse-has-a-secret-companion-star-and-theyve-nicknamed-it-her-bracelet