Betelgeuse is one of those rare stars that feels almost like a character of its own in the night sky. It glows with a reddish light in the constellation Orion, instantly recognizable once you know where to look. But what makes it truly fascinating isn’t just how bright or big it is—it’s the fact that we’re catching it in the final act of its life.
Betelgeuse is a massive, unstable, aging star that will one day explode as a spectacular supernova, bright enough to transform our sky for weeks or months. And because it’s so close and so dramatic, astronomers watch Betelgeuse obsessively.
But when will it explode? And what can we expect when it does? Click on to find out more about this giant star.