Betelgeuse explosion imminent? This hidden star could change everything 💥

Betelgeuse, one of the brightest and most easily recognizable stars in the night sky, might not be what we think.

While most scientists suggest it is on the verge of exploding as a supernova, a new study reveals an intriguing hypothesis: the presence of a companion star could be responsible for its variations in brightness.


This star, nicknamed "Betelbuddy" by researchers, may be orbiting Betelgeuse, sweeping away the surrounding stellar dust. This interaction could make the star appear brighter at times, according to Jared Goldberg, lead author of the study published on the preprint site arXiv.

The current scientific consensus is that Betelgeuse's variations in brightness are due to its internal pulsations, a common trait of dying stars. Indeed, Betelgeuse, a red giant, brightens and dims cyclically. However, a part of this variability could be the result of an external phenomenon.


After examining several potential causes, Goldberg and his team concluded that the only plausible explanation is the presence of Betelbuddy, a hidden star that affects Betelgeuse's brightness by periodically clearing the surrounding dust.

The concept of a "secondary long period" is central to this study. This particular slower variation in brightness, compared to the star's normal pulsations, could be caused by an orbiting object. Betelbuddy might play a major role in influencing the amount of visible light we see from Betelgeuse on Earth.


Although Betelbuddy is hypothetical, researchers estimate that it could be a star similar in size to our Sun. Another, more daring hypothesis suggests that this companion might be a neutron star, the compact core of a star that has already exploded as a supernova. However, to validate this idea, X-ray evidence would be required, and current observations show no signs of this.

To confirm this presence, the team plans to observe Betelgeuse hoping to detect Betelbuddy, particularly around December 6th, a period when it could become visible. This search for visual evidence is crucial, as so far, the companion star's presence is based solely on simulations and indirect clues.

This project is an example of collaborative science: it combines expertise in computer modeling, massive star observation, and spatial data analysis. According to astrophysicist Meridith Joyce, without this combination of talents, such research would not have been possible.

The study of Betelgeuse is a reminder that even the most studied stars, like this one, can still surprise us. For László Molnár, co-author of the study, it is the very idea that a star the size of Betelgeuse may be hiding a discrete companion that makes this research so exciting.