Could Betelgeuse go supernova within the next few decades? There are two science papers that argue whether that might be the case.
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant 500–600 lightyears from Earth that forms the shoulder of the constellation Orion.
Betelgeuse will one day go supernova, but exactly when that might be is a subject of much debate.
One study led by Hideyuki Saio from Tohoku University in Japan simulated Betelgeuse's vibrations, leading them to believe the star could be in the final stages of its life, where it is burning carbon in its core.
This stage will only last around 1,000 years and once the fuel is exhausted, the star would go supernova within a decade.
However, another group led by László Molnár from Konkoly Observatory in Hungary has since replied with their own measurements of Betelgeuse’s vibrations that suggest the star is still in its earlier helium-burning stage, which could last for up to 100,000 years.
Regardless of its ultimate fate, Betelgeuse has been garnering much attention of late, after a huge ejection of dust caused the star to dim from its usual magnitude of +0.5 to just +1.6 in early 2020.
The aftershocks of this event are likely to affect the star for several more years, as seen in May 2023 when Betelgeuse brightened by almost 50% to mag. +0.0.
