Every few years, Betelgeuse does something to grab the attention of astronomers, then the press gets excited, and everyone worries unnecessarily.  I remember back a couple of decades reading that Betelgeuse would be the most likely cause of another mass extinction of life on earth.

The only certainty is that Betelgeuse will blow–but the question is WHEN. Could be today, could be thousands of years from now. It might have already happened, we won’t know until some 640 years (give or take a couple of decades) after the event.  

Orion is a winter constellation, and easy to see as it is one of the largest, and the 3 belt stars are quite obvious.  —CPL

Astronomers are wondering whether Orion’s shoulder will soon explode

When Betelgeuse does eventually go supernova, the brightness will rival a full moon

The dramatic dimming of a giant star has astronomers wondering whether it’s getting ready to explode.

Betelgeuse — the red shoulder on the left side in the constellation Orion — has dimmed by a factor of about two since October, a change that has never been documented before.

“We know that it’s the dimmest it’s been observed ever, based on the data we have,” said Stella Kafka, chief executive officer of the American Association of Variable Star Observers.

What makes this development particularly intriguing to astronomers is that the star is slated to explode in spectacular fashion: a supernova. Astronomers estimate this will happen relatively soon — in astronomical terms anyway. It could be today, tomorrow or 100,000 years from now.

And when Betelgeuse goes supernova, astronomers estimate it will be as bright as the full moon and visible even during the day.

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