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Space
Space
Science
Robert Lea

Astronomers crack 1,000-year-old Betelgeuse mystery with 1st-ever sighting of secret companion (photo, video)

The glowing orange orb is Betelguese the faint blue smear. its companion stra seen for the first time by the ‘Alopeke instrument on the Gemini North telescope.

After a long wait, astronomers have finally seen the stellar companion of the famous star Betelgeuse. This companion star orbits Betelgeuse in an incredibly tight orbit, which could explain one of Betelgeuse's longstanding mysteries. The star is doomed, however, and the team behind this discovery predicts that Betelgeuse will cannibalize it in a few thousand years.

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