Betelgeuse
From Slackerpedia Galactica
Spelled "Betelgeuse" but pronounced by many as "beetle-juice". Also known as Alpha Orionis, it is the ninth brightest star in the sky. Somewhere in the vicinity of it there is a small planet that was the homeworld to a reporter for the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. He doesn't like to talk about it much.
Betelgeuse (a.k.a Alpha Orionis) is a red supergiant variable star, meaning that it is near the end of its life. Eventually it will explode as a Type II supernova.
Betelgeuse has two small stars orbiting closely and was the first star to have its actual surface imaged from Earth. Most stars are point sources, meaning that no matter how good your telescope is, it will always appear about as big as the telescope's highest resolution. However, Betelgeuse was big enough to have its surface imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope. This image revealed variations in the star's surface, likely star spots and flares.
External Links
- AAVSO Variable Star of the Month
- More facts on Betelguse at Wikipedia.
