Astronomers have finally cracked the long-standing mystery of Betelgeuse’s companion star after a thousand years of speculation. Using the Gemini North telescope and its “Alopeke” instrument, a team led by NASA Ames Research Center scientist Steve Howell detected the faint companion star for the first time ever.
The discovery confirms that Betelgeuse’s six-year dimming is caused by the close orbit of a hot blue-white star within the extended atmosphere of the red supergiant. The team estimates the companion star has a mass around 1.5 times that of the sun and orbits Betelgeuse at a distance equivalent to four times the distance between Earth and the sun.
The finding reveals that the two stars in the system are at opposite ends of their lives, with Betelgeuse being much older than its companion. The team also predicts that the intense gravity of Betelgeuse will drag the smaller star into it within 10,000 years, leading to a cannibalistic event.
This discovery marks a significant milestone in understanding the periodic changes in brightness of red supergiants like Betelgeuse. The research has implications for the study of these stars and their behavior over periods of many years.
Source: https://www.space.com/astronomy/astronomers-crack-1-000-year-old-betelgeuse-mystery-with-1st-ever-sighting-of-secret-companion-photo-video