Impending Supernova: Nearby Red Supergiant Star on the Brink

Astronomers predict that Betelgeuse, a red supergiant star in the constellation of Orion, could go supernova very soon, possibly within the next few decades. While there won't be any danger to Earth, the explosion will be the astronomical event of the millennium, with Betelgeuse shining almost as brightly as the moon and being visible even during the day for several months. The exact timing is uncertain, but if the star is larger than previously thought, it may have exhausted its hydrogen and helium and be burning through its carbon atoms, indicating it is in a late phase of core carbon burning. Scientists expect to detect neutrinos and gravitational waves about a day before the explosion reaches us.