Star Betelgeuse supernova: ESO reveals changing surface of strange star

ESO also revealed how the star is apparently changing shape, leading to suggestions it is not in fact about to supernova, but rather going through a transformation.

Miguel Montargès, an astronomer at KU Leuven in Belgium, said the transformation could take the form of vast amounts of gas being shot towards Earth, which is obscuring the star’s brightness.

Mr Montargès said: “The two scenarios we are working on are a cooling of the surface due to exceptional stellar activity or dust ejection towards us.

“Of course, our knowledge of red supergiants remains incomplete, and this is still a work in progress, so a surprise can still happen.”

Emily Cannon, a PhD student at KU Leuven, added: “The phrase ‘we are all made of stardust’ is one we hear a lot in popular astronomy, but where exactly does this dust come from?

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