🔠Betelgeuse might have a secret partner star
Astronomers used the Very Large Telescope to find strong evidence suggesting the red supergiant Betelgeuse has a close companion named Betelgeuse B. This companion is thought to be a young star, roughly 2.6 to 3.1 times the mass of our sun. This discovery may explain the star's six-year brightness cycle, which is likely caused by the companion periodically obscuring its light. The research team is now waiting for a second observation to confirm these exciting initial data. ðŸ”