Betelgeuse Unveiled: ALMA Reveals a Lumpy, Convection-Powered Surface
TL;DR
Astronomers using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array have produced one of the most detailed images of Betelgeuse, revealing a bumpy, irregular atmosphere with bright hotspots likely tied to convective motions; comparison with 2015 data shows a hotspot persisting for at least seven years and variations of up to about 6% in the star’s apparent radius, underscoring Betelgeuse’s non-spherical, extended surface as it heads toward its supernova fate.
- Want to see a star in close-up? Astronomers have produced one of the most detailed images of Betelgeuse we've ever seen BBC Sky at Night Magazine
- The bubbling surface of doomed supergiant star Betelgeuse has been revealed like never before Space
- ALMA Reveals Long-Lived Hotspots on Betelgeuse’s Bubbling Surface Observatorio ALMA
- “I jumped from my chair” – Astronomers spot Betelgeuse’s hidden companion Science Daily
- ALMA Reveals Betelgeuse’s Fiery, Long-Lived Hot Spots Sci.News
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on BBC Sky at Night Magazine