Betelgeuse- A Red Supergiant on the Brink
Betelgeuse, one of the brightest stars in the night sky, is a fascinating red supergiant located approximately 550-720 light-years away in the constellation of Orion. As one of Orion’s shoulders, it’s easy to spot - look for the distinctive reddish star in the upper left corner of the famous constellation.
What makes Betelgeuse particularly exciting is its variable brightness, which you can track in real-time through BetelBot (apologies for the X link!). These dramatic variations in brightness have led to intense speculation about the star’s future - Betelgeuse is near the end of its life and could go supernova at any moment. In fact, given its distance from Earth, it’s possible that Betelgeuse has already exploded, and we’re simply waiting for the light from this cosmic event to reach us!
Finding Betelgeuse
To locate Betelgeuse in the night sky:
- Look for Orion’s Belt - three bright stars in a row
- From the belt, look up and to the left
- The bright orange-red star you see is Betelgeuse
The best time to observe Betelgeuse is during winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, when Orion is highest in the evening sky.