The beautiful and distant star Betelgeuse from the constellation Orion is ready to explode at any moment. If this happens, the wildest fantasies of the creators of "Star Wars" will turn into reality. We will witness a unique spectacle - our sky will be simultaneously illuminated by two suns at once.
The explosion of Betelgeuse will be so strong that the star will shine thousands of times stronger.
What's wrong with Orion's alpha, Betelgeuse? Recently, it is somehow strangely pulsating and is rapidly shrinking in size. Astronomers from the University of California at Berkeley, based on long-term observations, came to the conclusion that in just a decade and a half, Betelgeuse has shrunk by 15 percent. And for such a star, size matters - it is one of the extremely rare red supergiants. Its approximate size is 5.5 times the radius of the Earth's orbit, and if you place Betelgeuse in the place of our Sun, it will reach the orbit of Mars, and its corona will reach the orbit of Jupiter.
However, here's the paradox: the larger the star, the shorter its age. Why? To understand this, you need to conduct a small astrological educational program. All luminaries, from small to large, go through approximately the same path of development. Stars are formed from clouds of dust and gas (mostly hydrogen) that are combined by the forces of gravity (i.e., attraction). The more cosmic material is involved in the birth of a star, the larger it is. However, large stars burn their own fuel much faster than smaller stars. In addition, the mass of a star directly affects not only its lifespan, but also how the star dies. Small luminaries end their days quietly and peacefully, first turning into red, then into a white dwarf, and at the end - into a planetary nebula. In general, nothing special. This is how our Sun will go out.
But Betelgeuse will end his life in a different way - with a powerful and picturesque explosion.
BURNS WITH A RED FLAME
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As a result of thermonuclear reactions taking place in the bowels of Betelgeuse, it has already run out of hydrogen, and it is intensively burning helium and other, heavier elements. The color of the Alpha Orion speaks volumes about this. If there is a lot of hydrogen fuel on a star, it shines with an even white light. There is a lack of hydrogen - the yellow light turns on. There is tension with hydrogen - it blazes red, which is what is happening at the moment.
In 1980, Chinese archaeologists discovered documents dating from the 1st century BC. e., in which it is written in black and white that in those days Betelgeuse emitted an even white light. But already in 150 AD. e. the ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy described Betelgeuse as a red star. It turns out that the peak of the star's vital activity has long passed, and even in time immemorial it has become an "old woman". Stellar "old age" can stretch for thousands and thousands of years, sometimes for millions, but with Betelgeuse, it seems, everything is different. Its demise is not far off, because it is rapidly losing mass, which is a sure sign of gravitational collapse. In addition, Betelgeuse's brightness changes all the time, and quite strongly, which also speaks of her imminent death. Why Betelgeuse is dying so quickly, scientists cannot yet say. The luminary is very densely enveloped in a cocoon of dust and gas, and even ultra-modern telescopes cannot see in detail what is happening on it.
BEAUTY IS A SCARY POWER
Nevertheless, the fact remains: sooner or later Betelgeuse will explode. And then we or our descendants will be witnesses of a grandiose cosmic fireworks.
The explosion of Betelgeuse will be of such force that the star will shine thousands of times stronger. In terms of brightness, a supernova explosion can be compared with the radiation of the entire Galaxy. The dying star will shine in the sky for several months. And even overshadow the beautiful Moon. The blood-red disc of Alpha Orion will be visible even in daylight. But gradually the magnificent spectacle will fade away, and the star will fade away. Over time, a beautiful nebula will appear in the place of a dead star, expanding in all directions at a speed of hundreds of kilometers per second. Or maybe - who knows? - a black hole or neutron star will appear there.
One thing is clear: in the constellation Orion, its brightest point will disappear - "the armpit of the Hunter", as the name of the star is translated from Arabic.
SAVE WHO CAN?
When a red supergiant explodes, a huge amount of energy is generated, therefore, if life exists near a star on some planet, you will not envy its inhabitants. A bright flash in the sky will be the last thing they see. The planets themselves around Betelgeuse will naturally be burned to the ground. Neither will the neighboring constellations be good, because the size of the supernova is much larger than the initial volume of the star.
Ancient Greek astronomer Ptolemy as represented by the artist of the 16th century
The main question is: "Will the disaster affect our planet?" - remains open. In theory, Betelgeuse is so far away that we seem to have nothing to worry about. The distance from Earth to the red supergiant can reach 640 light years, which is a lot by cosmic standards. When a star exploded in the Crab Nebula in 1054, ancient astronomers observed a bright flash in the sky for a month. There were no casualties and destructions on Earth then. But Betelgeuse is even further from us than the Crab Nebula. However, not everything is so smooth. If one of the poles of Betelgeuse points to our planet (and it will not be possible to determine this even with the help of an ultra-precise telescope), it will not do without consequences. After all, the most intense radiation flux always comes from the poles. In this case, earthlings can expect numerous northern lights,caused by magnetic storms, disruption of radio communications, malfunctions of electronic devices, power outages. High radiation levels can lead to a decrease in the Earth's ozone layer, which will negatively affect human health. The prospect, frankly speaking, is unpleasant. Therefore, no matter how much we would like to gaze at an unusual star show, let it be better that Betelgeuse still lives and lives and pleases us with its beauty.
