Mysterious Nature of Betelgeuse’s Companion Unveiled by Astronomers
Astronomers have made an unexpected discovery regarding the companion of one of the brightest stars in the night sky — Betelgeuse, located in the Orion constellation.
For a long time, this red giant star has been shrouded in mystery, including its variable brightness and its final evolutionary stages.
Recent studies reveal that Betelgeuse’s companion is not what scientists previously believed.
Using advanced instruments, notably the Chandra X-ray Observatory, researchers attempted to determine whether this companion is a white dwarf or a neutron star, both known for emitting strong X-ray radiation due to accretion processes.
However, the observations showed no signs of X-ray emission, suggesting that the companion is a young F-type star still in its transitional phase.
This implies that both stars formed around 10 million years ago, but due to its greater mass, Betelgeuse is already nearing the end of its life cycle, while its younger companion is just beginning its evolutionary journey.
Scientists also suspect that this stellar companion may not have stabilized yet and might still be in its formation phase.
The behaviour of Betelgeuse remains particularly intriguing, especially after the unusual dimming events in 2019-2020, dubbed the ‘Great Dimming,’ which underscore the star’s complex and mysterious nature.