Betelgeuse, part of the constellation Orion, has always been one of the brightest stars in the sky. But since the end of 2019
However, a study conducted by Dr.Meridith Joyce of the Australian National University (ANU), not only gives Betelgeuse new life, but also shows that it is closer to Earth than previously thought.
The size of Betelgeuse has always been a mystery.According to previous estimates, its radius is approximately equal to the distance between the Sun and Jupiter. We found out that it is about a third smaller - 750 solar radii. That is, Betelgeuse is only 530 light years away from us.
Laszlo Molnar, one of the authors of the article and an astrophysicist from the Konkoy Observatory in Hungary
The researchers were able to usehydrodynamic and seismic modeling to learn more about the physics that drives these pulsations and get a clearer picture of what phase of its life Betelgeuse is in.
According to study co-author Dr.Hsin-Chi Leung of the University of Tokyo, "the analysis confirmed that Betelgeuse's pulsations were caused by pressure waves—essentially sound waves." The authors argue that helium continues to burn in the star's core, which means it is far away from the explosion.
The size of Betelgeuse has always remained a mystery.The fact is that this star looks more like a pulsating blob with blurry edges than a sphere with clear boundaries. Measurements in recent years suggested that this supergiant star is located at a distance of 724 light years from us, its diameter is about 1,300 times larger than the Sun and it continues to expand.
Astronomers said that Betelgeuse is rapidly approaching the final stage of its life, when it collapses, and the supernova explosion from this event will be visible from Earth with the naked eye.
New calculations have shown that the star is locatedmuch closer - 530 light years from us. Accordingly, its size is also smaller. In particular, researchers estimated the radius of Betelgeuse to be approximately 3.5 astronomical units. This is what scientists call the average distance between the Sun and Earth. On the scale of the Solar System, this is equivalent to the fact that the boundary of this star would not pass through the orbit of Jupiter, but through the main asteroid belt, which is located between Mars and Jupiter.
The authors note: despite the fact that Betelgeuse is closer to us than expected, she is still far enough away for her explosion to somehow affect the Earth. Therefore, even after 100 thousand years, it will not pose a danger to our planet.
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