Is a Gravitational Wave Detection Near Betelgeuse a Sign the Star is Ready to Explode?
- Is a Gravitational Wave Detection Near Betelgeuse a Sign the Star is Ready to Explode?
by , https://www.cbc.ca/
At the end of its life, the enigmatic star will shine like a beacon in the sky
First it was the strange dimming of Betelgeuse. Now it’s a gravitational wave that once again has astronomers scratching their heads over this enigmatic star found in the constellation Orion. Betelgeuse has been grabbing a few headlines lately, as the normally bright star dimmed to its lowest point ever recorded — and astronomers don’t exactly know why.
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Now the U.S.-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) has detected a gravitational wave coming from that direction, adding another intriguing detail to what’s happening. The first gravitational wave ever recorded — a powerful ripple through space-time caused by cataclysmic events, like two merging black holes — was detected in September 2015.
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Since then, many more have been found, including one resulting from the merger of two black holes, as well as one from a binary neutron star merger. (A potential black hole-neutron star detection is still waiting to be confirmed.)
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But seeing as Betelgeuse is still there, a source for the newly detected gravitational wave is unknown. Normally, Betelgeuse is a bright red star found in the left “shoulder” of Orion. It’s classified as a semi-regular variable star, meaning that it dims periodically, but not on a regular basis. (It has two periods when it dims: roughly once every 430 days and once every six years.)
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During each cycle, dark spots appear on the surface of Betelgeuse, similar to the sunspots sometimes seen on the sun, but far, far larger.
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