The red giant star Betelgeuse is due to end its life in a supernova. But will this happen in 1,000 years, or 100,000 years? <\/p>
Could Betelgeuse go supernova within the next few decades? There are two science papers that argue whether that might be the case.<\/p>
Betelgeuse<\/a> is a red supergiant 500\u2013600 lightyears from Earth that forms the shoulder of the constellation Orion<\/a>.<\/p> Betelgeuse will one day go supernova<\/a>, but exactly when that might be is a subject of much debate.<\/p> One study led by Hideyuki Saio from Tohoku University<\/a> in Japan simulated Betelgeuse’s vibrations, leading them to believe the star could be in the final stages of its life, where it is burning carbon in its core.<\/p> This stage will only last around 1,000 years and once the fuel is exhausted, the star would go supernova within a decade.<\/p> However, another group led by L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Moln\u00e1r from Konkoly Observatory<\/a> in Hungary has since replied with their own measurements of Betelgeuse\u2019s vibrations that suggest the star is still in its earlier helium-burning stage, which could last for up to 100,000 years.<\/p> Regardless of its ultimate fate, Betelgeuse has been garnering much attention of late, after a huge ejection of dust caused the star to dim from its usual magnitude of +0.5 to just +1.6 in early 2020<\/a>.<\/p> The aftershocks of this event are likely to affect the star for several more years, as seen in May 2023 when Betelgeuse brightened by almost 50%<\/a> to mag. +0.0.<\/p>