Scientists might have figured out why Betelgeuse keeps dimming

[Mike Wehner]

• Astronomers using observations from the Hubble Space Telescope have come up with a new theory as to why the star Betelgeuse is dimming.
• The researchers believe they see evidence of a massive cloud of dust and gas that was expelled by the star, blocking some of its light toward Earth.
• Some scientists theorized that Betelgeuse was about to explode, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Betelgeuse, a massive nearby star that sits a mere 725 light-years away, has been acting very odd lately. Astronomers have noticed that it's been dimming at regular intervals and haven't been able to conclusively explain the cause. Some theories — such as the star approaching its supernova stage — don't appear to line up well with what we know about the Betelgeuse.

Now, in a new study published in The Astrophysical Journal, scientists using observations by the Hubble Space Telescope think they may have uncovered the reason for the star's odd behavior. And no, it's not about to explode.

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Scientists might have figured out why Betelgeuse keeps dimming originally appeared on BGR.com on Fri, 14 Aug 2020 at 22:10:31 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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