Red star Betelgeuse could become a supernova – DW – 07/17/2023

Known to astronomers as Betelgeuse, this is a red giant star scientifically identified as HD 39801, located in the constellation of Orion. For a long time, especially after the so-called “Great Dimming”, which occurred between December 2019 and February 2020, it was speculated that this “blackout” could be a precursor to its final explosion, or supernova.

Since then, when Betelgeuse appeared to have lost all of its distinctive red colour, scientists have claimed to have deciphered that spatial penumbra, concluding, in 2021, That the red giant star is not close to extinction. But in the year 2023, a scientific study presents new evidence that Betelgeuse is in fact in a late-stage “nuclear carbon burn”: the star burns out at its centers, making it a “candidate” for becoming a supernova.

Big differences in light

More than a century ago, scientists noticed fluctuations in the light presented by the red star. Armed with all this data, they have identified some patterns of “quasicyclic light changes” that should help explain some of the phenomena. During the Great Darkness, Betelgeuse experienced a significant drop in temperature, It is possible that the separation of matter from the star itself occurred at the same time.

By analyzing quasi-periodic variations and applying predictive models to calculate the likely next evolution of coal burning in Betelgeuse’s core, astronomers from Japan’s Tohoku University and the University of Geneva in Switzerland have come to seemingly strong conclusions.

Signs of depletion in the heart

At the center of Betelgeuse, the astronomers say, “the current evolutionary stage appears to be close to carbon depletion.” This may be a pre-supernova stage. According to some of his accounts, “The core can collapse about ten years after the carbon is depleted” in the star, making Betelgeuse a good candidate for the next near-galaxy supernova.

According to scientific estimates, the moment of this explosion can be determined in the distant future from the human perspective, but soon according to the time of the universe: in a period that may range from 10,000 to 100,000 years.