Betelgeuse Is Not Alone: A Stellar Companion Found ⚡ экспресс
After Betelgeuse's puzzling dimming in 2019–2020, caused by a dust belch rather than a looming supernova, the question of a possible companion remained open. On July 21, 2025, the 'Alopeke instrument on the 8.1-meter Gemini North telescope snapped the first direct image of a stellar sidekick. The companion was caught at an angular distance of 52 mas with a position angle of 115° east of north; it's 6 magnitudes fainter than Betelgeuse in the 466 nm band and cruises inside the supergiant's extended atmosphere. The result has low statistical oomph (1.5σ), but the tidy match with dynamical predictions for position, brightness, and mass makes it tentatively solid. The find explains long-running quirks in the star's behavior and sets the stage for follow-up—the next prime window is expected in November 2027.
In 2019, Betelgeuse suddenly dimmed, sparking rumors of an imminent explosion. But clouds of cosmic dust turned out to be the culprit. Now, the Gemini North telescope has discerned a minuscule companion star in its dazzling glare—just as calculations had predicted.
Betelgeuse is like a stadium floodlight, and its companion is a firefly flickering right in the beam. It’s 250 times fainter, but astronomers managed to measure its position and the difference in brightness. The match with theory was impressive.
The proximity explains long-standing oddities of the giant. Crucially, the companion orbits Betelgeuse in just a few years. This swift dance not only pushes back a possible supernova explosion, but also gives us a chance to keep tracking the pair. The next observation is set for November 2027.
🎯 Unofficial names for the companion are Betelbuddy or Siwarha. Its full orbit around Betelgeuse takes just a few years—by cosmic standards, a very brisk dance.