Betelgeuse's Changes in Brightness (IMAGE)
Caption
This illustration plots changes in brightness of the red supergiant star Betelgeuse, following the titanic mass ejection of a large piece of its visible surface. The escaping material cooled to form a cloud of dust that temporarily made the star look dimmer, as seen from Earth. This unprecedented stellar convulsion disrupted the monster star’s 400-day-long oscillation period that astronomers had measured for more than 200 years. The interior may now be jiggling like a plate of gelatin dessert.
Credit
NASA, ESA, Elizabeth Wheatley (STScI)
Usage Restrictions
Credit must be given to the creator. Only noncommercial uses of the work are permitted.
License
CC BY-NC