Betelgeuse’s hidden companion star found after centuries of searching

Astronomers have discovered Betelgeuse's companion star using a special "speckle imager" on the Gemini North telescope. The faint companion is six magnitudes dimmer than Betelgeuse, has about 1.5 solar masses, and orbits within Betelgeuse's outer atmosphere. This discovery explains the star's six-year brightness variation and offers new insights into red supergiant behavior. Scientists predict the companion will spiral into Betelgeuse within 10,000 years, with the next observation opportunity in November 2027.