Overview

• Astronomers captured the first-ever direct images of a star orbiting within Betelgeuse’s extended atmosphere using the ’Alopeke speckle-imaging instrument on the Gemini North Telescope.
• The companion is measured at about 1.5 solar masses, appears blue-white and is six magnitudes fainter than the red supergiant in visible light.
• Orbiting roughly four astronomical units from Betelgeuse’s surface, the companion explains the star’s centuries-old, six-year secondary brightness cycle.
• This marks the first time a close-orbiting companion to a red supergiant has been directly imaged, demonstrating advances in high-resolution observational techniques.
• Astronomers aim to observe the pair again in May 2027 when the companion reaches its maximum apparent separation for follow-up measurements.