Overview

• The companion is six magnitudes dimmer than Betelgeuse in visible light, underscoring its faintness against the supergiant’s glare.
• It follows a tight orbit of roughly four astronomical units, a separation newly accessible through advanced imaging techniques.
• Discovery of this close-in star validates models attributing Betelgeuse’s six-year brightness cycle to a gravitational influence.
• Strong tidal interactions are expected to draw the companion into Betelgeuse, leading to a merger within about 10,000 years.
• Astronomers plan a follow-up observation in November 2027 when the star reaches its maximum apparent separation for detailed study.