Scientists have now determined red supergiant star Betelgeuse dimming between 2018 and 2020, refuting concerns that the star was about to enter the final stage of its evolution—Supernova or the ultimate explosion.
The darkening was produced by a burst of dust on the star’s surface, according to a team of scientists from France’s Université Côte d’Azur.
From 2018 to 2020, the team allegedly employed the MATISSE (Multi Aperture Mid-Infrared Spectroscopic Experiment) instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope Interferometer in northern Chile to take high-resolution images of the star.
Images provided by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) on Monday (Oct 23) confirmed that, from our perspective, the star had returned to its former form.
The source of the dimming was discovered
While the star appeared dull during these years, the French team discovered that its photosphere actually brightened.
This prompted the team to assume that the dimming was caused by a blast of dust from the star in the form of silicon monoxide.
An abrupt cooling of the star’s surface could have triggered the burst.
“The changes in the structure of the photosphere and the silicon monoxide are consistent with both the formation of a cold spot on the star’s surface and the ejection of a cloud of dust,” the statement by the French team reads.
Theory backs up the findings of the 2021 investigation
If the concept is correct, it would be consistent with the findings of a 2021 research on Betelgeuse, which revealed that the star had effectively blasted a gas bubble. Astronomers who saw the star at the time determined that a sharp dip in temperature had caused some gas to erupt from its surface.
According to the 2021 results, the abrupt cooling would have been enough to condense the outgoing gas into solid dust. This material would have dispersed to form a cloak in front of the star, making it appear darker from our vantage point.
As a result, the MATISSE photos lend support to this notion. Furthermore, these photos show dust, the same dust that can later contribute to the formation of new star systems, can actually form in close proximity to stars.
