The red supergiant Betelgeuse is still about to explode into a supernova sometime within the next 100,000 years, but it probably won't happen tomorrow.
A huge red star, hundreds of light years away, has rapidly dimmed, dropping from the top 10 brightest stars in the sky to the mid-20s.
One explanation for the dimming, which is unprecedented, is that the huge star collapses on its own before exploding into a supernova. An explosion that could temporarily eclipse the moon at night and even be visible during the day.
Earthlings have not witnessed such a supernova explosion for over three centuries.
But there are other possible explanations for Betelgeuse's behavior. First of all, it is a variable star that usually pulsates in cycles, causing fluctuations in its brightness. However, this dip in brightness is unusually large. Perhaps the dust clouds on our line of sight are exaggerating the darkening.
“The star hasn't dimmed in the last 10 days,” Villanova University astronomer Edward Guinan told Forbes.
Ginan says this is probably bad news for those awaiting a supernova explosion. While not entirely sure, he doesn't expect the star to explode anytime soon.
However, the next few weeks are still important for shedding light on the star's ultimate fate.
Betelgeuse is now approaching the end of its roughly 14-month pulsation cycle, and the stabilization of its glow suggests that it will become bright again and begin to shine as usual.
Sources: Photo: ESO / Digitized Sky Survey 2
