Scientists discover a companion to Betelgeuse, one of the brightest red supergiants in the constellation of Orion

Scientists have discovered a companion to Betelgeuse, one of the brightest red supergiants in the constellation of Orion. For stars of this kind, having a companion at all is a great rarity.

The companion is a bluish-white star, roughly 1.5 times more massive than the Sun. It orbits at an extremely small distance from Betelgeuse (about the distance from the Sun to Jupiter), finding itself, in effect, inside the outer layers of the supergiant's atmosphere.

Scientists suppose that this star will live an exceedingly short life: within the next 10,000 years it will be swallowed up by Betelgeuse.

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Scientists discover a companion to Betelgeuse, one of the brightest red supergiants in the constellation of Orion

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