Betelgeuse Has a New Stellar Neighbor | Science News

Astronomers may have cracked a 100-year-old cosmic mystery: they’ve captured the clearest image yet of a companion star orbiting Betelgeuse, the famous red giant in Orion. Using a planet-hunting instrument on the Very Large Telescope, scientists spotted the stellar neighbor — a discovery so shocking, the lead researcher jumped from his chair. While confirmation still requires one more observation in a year, evidence is now overwhelming. This breakthrough not only explains Betelgeuse’s odd brightness shifts but could also reveal how its eventual supernova might unfold. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/39b8802382d43d13