Betelgeuse star in Orion Constellation may be approaching supernova

One of the most popular constellations in the sky is the Orion constellation. However, some astronomers have noticed that this particular constellation has been looking a little different, and it is all because of one star.

Science Alert reports that the red giant Alpha Orionis star, also known as the Betelgeuse star, is looking especially faint. It looks the faintest it has ever been in what seems like a century. This change in appearance has scientists buzzing about what could happen next for this particular star, the popular theory would be that the Betelgeuse star may be continuously dying out, and as a result of dying out, may be approaching supernova or shrink into a white dwarf, the hot core remaining while the rest becomes a planetary nebula.

According to astronomers from Villanova University and the paper they published a few weeks ago, the star was one magnitude less, a little over the usual magnitude of the star which ranges between +0.5 to +1.5. The American Association of Variable Star Observers or AAVSO have also confirmed this claim. While the fading by a magnitude when it comes to a star like Betelgeuse is not unusual, but a magnitude such as this one would definitely have people wondering what is next for this star. It is also worth adding that Betelgeuse is one of the closest stars in the galaxy for a supernova.

It is possible that once Betelgeuse has used up all its hydrogen fuel in a span of under 10 million years, its core will implode resulting in a collapse and rebound. This is also referred to as a Type II Supernova.

Previously, another phenomenon in space was spotted by scientists. The Milky Way was seen consuming interstellar matter more than usual, according to researchers. According to UCLA Professor Andrea Ghez, who also serves as co-author of a study conducted, it is the first time they have seen a black hole this hungry in 24 years. “It is usually a pretty quiet, wimpy black hole on a diet. We don’t know what’s driving this big feast,” says Ghez.

Black holes usually feed on cosmic dust and gas, occasionally coming from Mars. All the space matter emits an endless amount of energy which results in the black hole’s ring of light. It was in May that the researchers saw that the black hole was shining brighter than usual. This had Ghez and their team wondering if this is only a standalone occurrence or the start of something much bigger.