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Scientists Confirm Companion Star Orbiting Within Betelgeuse’s Atmosphere

Peer-reviewed results pinpoint a faint pre-main-sequence star just four astronomical units from Betelgeuse, with November 2027 marked as the next optimal window for detailed observations.

Image
Credit: International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/M. Zamani (NSF NOIRLab)
Astronomers use the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii to capture an image of a companion star orbiting Betelgeuse.

Overview

  • High-resolution speckle imaging by the Alopeke instrument on Gemini North directly revealed the companion star in July 2025.
  • Analysis shows the companion is a blue-white A/B-type pre-main-sequence star about 1.5 times the mass of the Sun and six magnitudes fainter than Betelgeuse.
  • The star orbits roughly four astronomical units from Betelgeuse—placing it within the supergiant’s extended atmosphere—and accounts for its six-year brightness cycle.
  • Findings were published July 24, 2025, in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, marking the first direct detection of a companion within a red supergiant’s atmosphere.
  • Astronomers will observe the companion again at its maximum separation in November 2027 to refine measurements of its orbit and physical characteristics.