Recent studies suggest the existence of a smaller, Sun-like companion star (Betelgeuse B) that may influence its long-term brightness cycles. Life Cycle and Future
If placed at the center of our solar system, it would engulf the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, likely extending past Jupiter's orbit .
Distinctive orange-red hue, visible even without equipment. Variability and Observation
It is roughly 100,000 times brighter than the Sun but significantly cooler, with a surface temperature of approximately 3,600 Kelvin (6,020°F).
In late 2019 and early 2020, it experienced a historic drop in brightness, eventually attributed to a massive surface mass ejection that cooled into an obscuring dust cloud.
A red supergiant nearing the end of its life cycle.
Despite being only about 8 to 10 million years old —much younger than our 4.6-billion-year-old Sun—its massive size caused it to evolve rapidly.