What is the next star to go supernova?

What is the next star to go supernova?

Betelgeuse
The nearest stars likely to go supernova within the next few million years are Betelgeuse and Antares. Both are over 400 light years away, far more than the 30 light years at which the explosion could become dangerous. Another VERY massive star, Eta Carinae, visible in the southern hemisphere, could go even sooner.

Is Beetlejuice star going to explode?

Betelgeuse is a red supergiant — a type of star that’s more massive and thousands of times shorter-lived than the Sun — and it is expected to end its life in a spectacular supernova explosion sometime in the next 100,000 years.

What will happen to Orion when Betelgeuse explodes?

The explosion of Betelgeuse would be bright enough to cast shadows at night. It would even be visible during the day. The explosion would slowly fade in the coming months. After a year, the Shoulder of Orion would disappear from the naked eye.

What if Betelgeuse already exploded?

In late 2019, Betelgeuse, the star that forms the left shoulder of the constellation Orion, began to noticeably dim, prompting speculation of an imminent supernova. If it exploded, this cosmic neighbor a mere 700 light-years from Earth would be visible in the daytime for weeks.

Where do Supernovas occur?

Most supernovas are detected in distant galaxies. The incredibly violent explosion, which occurs when a giant star has finally run out of the fuel that fires its fusion reaction, briefly outshines all the rest of the stars in that galaxy put together.

Is Betelgeuse the brightest star in Orion?

The star is also referred to as Alpha Orionis, a designation normally reserved for the brightest star in a constellation, even though Rigel, at Orion’s left foot, is actually brighter. Betelgeuse is huge and bloated, wielding 20 times the sun’s heft.

Will Betelgeuse explode in a supernova?

The explosive death of a star, also called a supernova, would cause Betelgeuse to suddenly burn even brighter before vanishing forever. “The biggest question now is when it will explode in a supernova,” said Sarafina Nance, a UC Berkeley astrophysics researcher, on Twitter.

Is Orion’s star getting dimmer?

The star, which forms the eastern “shoulder” of Orion, was first observed in December to be dimming. Astronomers are now closely watching the star to see if it’s about to return to its normal brightness – or if it will grow fainter.