DEPARTMENT OF ASTRONOMY

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ASTRONOMY 309N
Cosmic Catastrophes
Fall 2002


WATCHING BETELGEUSE

 

Betelgeuse is found in the constellation Orion. If you can't find Orion in the sky, try searching the web using keywords Betelgeuse or Orion.

Two of the many good sources of information on what to look for in the night sky are: Skywatch and Heavens Above.

From Sciencenet:
The Hunter's right shoulder is marked by the brilliant orange star Betelgeuse lying 457 light-years from Earth. This huge red supergiant is one of the largest stars known; if it were to take the place of the Sun in our solar system its gigantic diameter would extend beyond the orbit of Mars. Betelgeuse is entering the twilight years of its life and has cooled considerably since is youth hence its orange huge. The colour of stars are related to their age. Young stars generate more energy and are hotter shining brightly with a blue or white light. As they grow old the energy they produce dwindles and their temperature drops; the dominant light emitted then turns from white to yellow though to orange and finally red, much like the dying embers of a coal fire. The surface temperature of Betelgeuse is cooler than the Sun measuring approximately 3000°C compared with 6000°C.

 

This is what Betelgeuse looks like to the HST:

 

 
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21 August 2002
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