Hubble observations add evidence of elusive companion orbiting supergiant star Betelgeuse
CNN • • science
Key Points:
- Astronomers have discovered a dense gas trail in Betelgeuse’s upper atmosphere, likely created by an unseen companion star named Siwarha, which orbits Betelgeuse every six years and influences its brightness variability.
- Betelgeuse, a red supergiant about 650 light-years away and 1,400 times the diameter of the sun, exhibits brightness changes over six-year and 416-day cycles, with Siwarha’s orbit now linked to the longer cycle.
- Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories revealed Siwarha’s wake as it moves through Betelgeuse’s extended atmosphere, confirming the companion’s presence and its effect on the star’s appearance and behavior.
