Betelgeuse Supernova: Most Fascinating Star In Our Sky Inches Closer To Exploding@TheCosmosNews

#thecosmosnews Is Betelgeuse getting ready to explode? A new, unexpected brightening has astronomers watching Betelgeuse just 3 years after a massive dimming event. Is a supernova imminent? Betelgeuse, usually the 10th brightest star in the sky, has brightened over the past month to creep up to 7th place on the list of most luminous stars. Although Betelgeuse is an intrinsically variable star, we don t yet know: is this just a normal phase in its variability, or is it preparing to go supernova? An unexpected source, the humble neutrino, will be the only indication we have as far as the advance warning goes. The truth is, it could go at any time. Since 1604, astronomers have awaited the Milky Way’s next naked-eye supernova. In Earth’s skies, this explosion will match the full Moon’s brightness, but be concentrated at a single point. Betelgeuse’s Brightening Raises Hopes for a Supernova Spectacle Betelgeuse, the red star at the shoulder of the constellation Orion, has been acting strange, raising hopes for the spectacle of a lifetime. Even if you don’t know it by name, the red supergiant star Betelgeuse is one of the most familiar sights in the heavens above—a gleaming ruddy dot at the shoulder of the constellation Orion. Although already quite difficult to overlook, Betelgeuse has become even more eye-catching across the past few years because of major changes in its appearance—unexpected fluctuations in its brightness that remain poorly understood. In recent weeks, the star has at times shone more than 50 percent brighter than normal, drawing renewed attention from amateur sky watchers and professional astronomers alike. These individuals hopefully await a historic celestial event. Someday, you see, Betelgeuse will explosively end its life in a supernova—and from our planetary perch just 650 light-years away, we Earthlings will have front-row seats to this spectacular cosmic cataclysm. But does the current bout of brightening presage Betelgeuse blowing its top? And what would such a nearby supernova look like?