Betelgeuse (orange) has a newly identified companion star, just visible on the left against a dark blue background. Betelgeuse's brightness fluctuates in a predictable pattern that has puzzled astronomers for centuries; scientists now say it's likely due to its companion. (Image credit: International Gemini)
Astronomers have confirmed that the red supergiant Betelgeuse likely has a companion star.
Long thought to orbit Betelgeuse, a very bright star that could go supernova in the next few thousand years, the Sun-sized companion star was finally spotted in a unique observation using the Gemini North telescope high on Mauna Kea in Hawaii.
If the new star's discovery is confirmed, it could help solve a long-standing mystery: why Betelgeuse has a regular cycle of increasing and decreasing brightness about every six years.
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