IS BETELGEUSE GOING TO BLOW UP?

Hey Space Placers!

THANK YOU FOR THE THREE MILLION, TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED NINETY-THREE (3,200,293) VIEWS!!!!!! What a milestone!

Betelgeuse is the BRIGHT yellowish star in the upper left. Picture was taken in fog to highlight star colors.
Credit: Greg Redfern

Mighty Orion the Hunter is in the winter night sky rising in the East soon after it gets dark. Long with the Big Dipper it is perhaps the most recognized constellation in the heavens. The stars really do form the shape of a mighty hunter in the sky.

The bright star known as Betelgeuse has rapidly dimmed in the past month and has fueled speculation as to its immediate future. It is a variable star which means that its light input changes occasionally. But it is also a massive star which will end its life in a brilliant supernova explosion someday.

Our Milky Way Galaxy has not had a supernova explosion visible from Earth for centuries - we are way overdue! Betelgeuse will be spectacular when it blows but no one can tell when that will be.

The best thing to do is peek in on Orion every night and just see "what's up" with the Hunter.

Sky Guy in VA