Betelgeuse Got Weird
For a brief time in late 2019 and early 2020, it seemed like we might be on the verge of one of the most incredible cosmic spectacles humans will ever see: the explosion of Betelgeuse, the bright, reddish star in the constellation Orion. This red supergiant star, which is scheduled to go supernova sometime between now and 100,000 years from now, had suddenly started dimming. Some speculated that the dimming was a sign that the star was about to die, an explosion that would make it as bright as the Moon in the night sky and visible in the daytime. Alas, it turns out there was probably just some dust blocking our view. Betelgeuse… we’re still waiting.
