Betelguese might not go supernova after all (at least not now).

[sjastro]

Betelguese apart from dimming has undergone a shape change.

Many astronomy enthusiasts wondered if Betelgeuse’s dimming meant it was about to explode. Like all red supergiants, Betelgeuse will one day go supernova, but astronomers don’t think this is happening now. They have other hypotheses to explain what exactly is causing the shift in shape and brightness seen in the SPHERE images. “The two scenarios we are working on are a cooling of the surface due to exceptional stellar activity or dust ejection towards us,” says Montargès [1]. “Of course, our knowledge of red supergiants remains incomplete, and this is still a work in progress, so a surprise can still happen.”

ESO Telescope Sees Surface of Dim Betelgeuse

 

[The IbanezerScrooge]

If this thing blows in my lifetime it will certainly be the most significant cosmological event I've ever witnessed. I'm hoping it does. That would be amazing.

 

[grasping the after wind]

If this thing blows in my lifetime it will certainly be the most significant cosmological event I've ever witnessed. I'm hoping it does. That would be amazing.

Wasn't Ford Prefect from somewhere in the vicinity of Betelgeuse? If it blows the Guide will have to be updated.

 

[sjastro]

If this thing blows in my lifetime it will certainly be the most significant cosmological event I've ever witnessed. I'm hoping it does. That would be amazing.

I was fortunate enough to see the SN1987a the only supernova visible to the naked eye in the 20th century.

 

[sjastro]

It's getting brighter now.