Astronomers say they have solved the mystery of one of the brightest stars in the night sky, which suddenly began to fade a year ago.
The loss of light from the giant star Betelgeuse was caused by a cloud of dust associated with the cooling of the surface of this celestial body, which blocked 70% of the brightness. But the data suggests that this star will continue to illuminate the universe, reports AFP.
This “red supergiant”, one of the brightest in the galaxy, is visible to the naked eye in the constellation Orion.
For five months, from November 2019 to March 2020, it faded dramatically, losing 70% of its brightness, which it has regained in the meantime.
–
