Context:

Astronomers have potentially discovered a previously unseen companion star, named 'Siwarha', orbiting Betelgeuse, which may explain the supergiant's mysterious six-year brightness cycle. Using the Gemini North telescope, researchers employed speckle imaging to detect the faint blue star, which is much dimmer and closer to Betelgeuse than previously thought, making it difficult to observe. The companion's orbit could offer insights into Betelgeuse's variability, as well as the fate of both stars, which may ultimately lead to their destruction. The discovery aligns with previous theoretical predictions, yet more observations are required to confirm the companion's existence and understand its impact on Betelgeuse's dust production and luminosity changes. This finding highlights the potential for other red supergiant stars to have similar companions, offering new perspectives on stellar and planetary formation processes.

Dive Deeper:

• Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star, has been found to possibly have a companion star named 'Siwarha', which might explain its periodic six-year variations in brightness.

• Researchers used a high-resolution imaging technique called speckle imaging with the Gemini North telescope to detect the faint blue star, which is only about 1.5 times the mass of the sun.

• The companion star's proximity and faintness have made it challenging to detect, previously eluding instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-Ray Observatory.

• The discovery suggests that the companion's orbit could influence Betelgeuse's brightness by affecting the star's dust production, leading to changes in luminosity over time.

• The findings align with historical predictions based on Betelgeuse's radial velocity measurements, yet require further confirmation through future observations.

• If confirmed, the presence of this companion star could signify a commonality among red supergiant stars, revealing new insights into the processes of star and planet formation.

• The future of both stars appears grim, as their close interaction may eventually lead to their mutual destruction, either through a merger or a supernova explosion.