00:00Astronomers may have solved a mystery surrounding one of the night sky's most famous stars.
00:05Betelgeuse, the bright red supergiant in the constellation Orion, appears to have a hidden companion.
00:11Using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile, researchers captured their clearest evidence yet.
00:18The faint object is likely Betelgoose b, a star orbiting the enormous red supergiant,
00:24and it may be far more massive than astronomers previously thought.
00:27New observations suggest the companion is approximately two to three times the mass of our Sun.
00:33The search for this companion has lasted about a century,
00:36with earlier studies predicting a key viewing opportunity in December 2024.
00:41That was when the two stars were expected to appear farthest apart from Earth.
00:46Astronomer Miguel Montargés says he jumped from his chair after seeing the processed images.
00:51Scientists say the evidence is extremely strong.
00:54But another observation is still needed to confirm the companion's orbit.
00:58Researchers will also investigate whether the companion influences Betelgeuse's evolution.
01:03That could provide new clues about the future of this red supergiant and its eventual supernova.
01:09Disclosure, this video contains stock footage and content created or enhanced using AI-assisted tools.
01:14That's finally been a bit too far by putting on the red supergiant.
01:14Which, if the name means, is a dirty supergiant.
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