Received the clearest image of Bethelgeuse - the stars capable of destroying us. Orion light

Betelgeuse - the second brightness of the star of the Constellation of Orion and the Red Support: Description and Characteristics with photos, facts, color, coordinates, latitude, supernova. Bethelgei (Alpha Orion) is the second on the brightness of the star in Orion and the 9th in the sky. This is a red supergiant, removed by 643 light years. Completes its existence and exploded as a supernova in the near future ...
You have a large, bright and massive star, which is easy to notice in winter. He lives in the shoulder of the Constellation of Orion opposite Bellatrix. You will know where the Bethelgeuse star is located if you use our star sky online card.
Betelgeuse is considered a star variable and periodically capable of eclipse. The name appeared from Arabic translation "Hand Orion". Modern Arab "Al-Jabbar" means "Giant". Translators confused Y as b and the name "Bethelgeuse" appeared only as an error. Further you will learn about the distance to the Betelgeuse star, its latitude, coordinates, class, decline, color and luminosity level with photos and schemes.

Betelgeuse is in the right arm of Orion (from above on the left). If you put it in our system, it will be followed by the feature of the asteroid belt and the orbital path of Jupiter will affect.
Refers to the M2IB spectral class, where "Lab" indicates that we are dealing with supergigant with intermediate luminosity. Absolute value reaches -6.02. Mass varies between 7.7-20 times more solar. Age - 10 million years, and the average luminosity is 120,000 times the solar indicator.
The apparent value varies from 0.2-1.2 in 400 days. Because of this, periodically bypass the priest and becomes the 7th position in brightness. At the peak of luminosity overshadows the rigleel, and on the period of dullness, the denbel falls below and becomes the 20th.
The absolute value of Bethelgeuse varies from -5.27 to -6.27. External layers are expanding and compressed, which leads to an increase and drop in the temperature mark. Pulsation occurs due to an unstable atmospheric layer. When absorbing absorbs more energy.

The collage displays the Constellation of Orion (the arrow indicates to betelgeuse), approximation to Bethelgeuse and the most accurate frame with supergiant, mined by the ESO telescope
There are several ripple cycles with short-term differences in 150-300 days, and long-term covers 5.7 years. The star rapidly loses the mass, therefore is closed with a huge shell of the material, which makes it difficult to observe.
In 1985, two satellites have noticed the star in the orbit, but then they could not confirm. Betelgeuse is easy to find, because it is located in Orion. From September to March, it is noticeable from any point on Earth, except 82 ° S. For residents of the Northern Hemisphere, the star will go up in the east after sunset in January. In the summer she hides behind the sun, so it's not to see it.

Supernova and Star Betelgeuse

Betelgeuse approached the completion of its evolutionary development and in the nearest million years will explode as a supernova type II type. This will lead to a visual value in -12 and will last a couple of weeks. The last supernova SN 1987a could be seen without instruments, although it happened in a large Magellan cloud, removed 168,000 light years. Bethelgeuse will not harm the system, but will give an unforgettable heavenly sight.
Although the star is young, but she has already practically spent the fuel reserve. Now shrinks and increases internal heating. This led to the melting of helium into carbon and oxygen. As a result, an explosion will occur and a 20-kilometer neutron star will remain.
The finals of the stars always depends on the mass. The exact figure remains foggy, but many believe that it exceeds the sun 10 times.

Facts about Bethelgei Star

Let's look at interesting facts about the Betelgeuse star with photos and views of the star neighbors in the Constellation of Orion. If you want more details, then use our 3D models that allow themselves to move among the galaxy stars.
It is included in two winter asterism. It takes up the top corner of the winter triangle.

Stars of the winter triangle

The remaining corners are allocated to the priest and Sirius. Bethelgeuse is also part of a winter hexagon along with Sirius, a prison, a plow, chapel, Aldebaran and Rigel.
In 2013, it was believed that Bethelgeuse would dive into the "Space Wall" of interstellar dust after 12,500 years.
Betelgeuse is part of the Orion OV1 Association, whose stars share the correct movement and a single speed in space. It is believed that the Red Sukhgiant changed its movement, because his path does not intersect with the sections of the formation of stars. It can be a runaway member that appeared about 10-12 million years ago in the Orion molecular cloud.

This is an image of a dramatic nebula around bright red superdgigant betelgeuse. Formed from pictures of Visir IR cameras on a very large telescope. The structure resembles the flame and comes out of the star, because it throws its material into space. A tiny red circle in diameter extends 4.5 times from the earth's orbit and displays the visible region of the surface of Bethelgeuse. Black disk correlates with a bright part of the frame and disguised to consider the nebula
The star moves in space with acceleration 30 km / s. As a result, a shock wave was formed with a length of 4 light years. The wind pushes huge gas volumes at a speed of 17 km / s. He was able to display in 1997, and the formation of about 30,000 years.
Alpha Orion is the brightest source in the nearest IR region in the sky. Only 13% of energy is displayed in the visible light. In 1836, John Herschel noted star change. In 1837, the star eclipsed the Rigel and repeated it in 1839. It was because of this in 1603, Johann Bayer mistakenly gave Bethelgei the designation "Alpha" (as the brightest).
It is believed that the star Bethelgueiz began to exist 10 million years ago as a hot blue star O-type. And the initial mass exceeded the solar at 18-19 times. Until the 20th century, the name was recorded as "Betelle" and "Bethelgeuse".

Snapshot from 2010 shows the foggy complex of the Orion molecular cloud. Also noticeable red bigant Bethelgei (at the top of the left) and an Orion belt, which includes Alnin, Alnim and Mintaka. Downstairs lives the Rigel, and the red crescent - Bernard loop
Betelgeuse was fixed in various cultures under different names. In Sanskrit is recorded as "Bahu", because the Hindus seen in the constellation of a deer or antelope. In China, Schiengsia is the "fourth star", as a reference to the origin of Orion. In Japan, Haika Bow as a tribute to the Klanha Hike, who took the star for a symbol of a kind.
In Brazil, the star called Zhilkavai - the hero, whose foot broke his wife. On the territory of North Australia, it was called "owl eyes", and in South Africa - a lion, hunting for three zebras.

Bethigant Bethelgeuse, imprinted by the Naco instrument on a very large telescope. When combined with the technique of "lucky visualization", it is possible to obtain the most clear image of the star, even with turbulence, distorting a picture of the atmosphere. Expansion - 37 milli-angular seconds. The frame is obtained on the basis of data from the near IR region and the use of various filters
Bethelgeuse also appears in various artistic films and books. So the hero of "Bittljus" divides the name with the star. Betelgeuse became the native system for the biblbrox biblbroce from the "guide hitchhought for the Galaxy". Kurt Vonnegut has a star in "Siren Titan", as well as Pierre Bul in the "Planet of Monkeys".

Bethielgey star size

It is difficult to determine the parameters, but the diameter covers approximately 550-920 solar. The star is so huge that it demonstrates the disk in telescopic observations.

The artistic interpretation of the supergiant of Bethelgeuse, information about which was produced by a very large telescope. It can be seen that the star possesses a large gas loop. And he is so scaled, which covers the territory of our system. These detection are important, because help to understand how such monsters eject material at high speed. Left and scale in units of radius and comparison with the solar system
The radius was measured using an infrared spatial interferometer, which showed a mark of 3.6 AE. In 2009, Charles Town announced that since 1993, the star declined by 15%, but did not lose brightness. Most likely, this is caused by the activity of the shell in an extended atmospheric layer. Scientists have found at least 6 shells around the star. In 2009, the gas release was recorded at 30 A.E.
Alpha Orion became the second star after the sun, where it was possible to calculate the angular size of the photosphere. This was done by A. Maykelson and F. Paes in 1920. But the numbers were inaccurate due to attenuation and errors when measuring.
The diameter is difficult to calculate due to the fact that we are dealing with a pulsating variable, which means the indicator will always change. It is also hard to determine the stellar edge and the photosphere, since the object is surrounded by a shell from the thrown out material.

Comparison of the size of Bethelgeuse (a large dim black sphere on the orbital path of Jupiter) and R Golden Fish (Red Ball inside the Earth Orbit). Also marked orbits of Mars, Venus, Mercury and Stars - Rigel and Aldebaran. Weak yellow sphere has a radius in 1 light minute. Yellow Ellipses - Planetary Orbits
Previously believed that Bethelgeuse has the highest angular diameter. But later there was a calculation in R Golden fish and now Bethelgeuse stands on the 3rd place. In the radius extends to 5.5 A.E., but it can be reduced to 4.5 AE.

The remoteness of the star Bethelgeuse

Betelgeuse lives at a distance of 643 light years in the Constellation Orion. In 1997, it was believed that the indicator was 430 light years, and in 2007 they put on 520. But the exact figure remains a mystery, because the direct measurement of parallax shows 495 light years, and the addition of natural radio emission shows 640 light years. Data from 2008, produced by VLA proposed 643 light years.
Color index - (B - V) 1.85. That is, if you wanted to know what color Bethelgeuse, then we have a red star.

The photosphere has an extended atmosphere. As a result, the blue radiation lines appear, and not absorption. Ancient observers knew about red. So Ptolemy in the 2nd century gave a clear description of the color. But for another 3 century, Chinese astronomers described the yellow color. This does not speak about the error, because the star could have been yellow supergiant.

The temperature of the star Bethelgeuse

The surface of Bethelgeuse is heated to 3140-4641 K. The atmosphere - 3450 K. with the expansion of gas cools.

Physical characteristics and orbit star Betelgeuse

Bethelgei - Alpha Orion.
Constellation: Orion.
Coordinates: 05h 55m 10.3053c (direct climb), + 07 ° 24 "25.426" (declination).
Spectral class: M2IB.
The value (visible spectrum): 0.42 (0.3-1.2).
The value: (j-strip): -2.99.
Absolute value: -6.02.
Remoteness: 643 light years.
Type of variable: SR (semoregular variable).
Massive: 7.7-20 solar.
Radius: 950-1200 solar.
Luminativity: 120,000 solar.
Temperature mark: 3140-3641 K.
Rotation speed: 5 km / s.
Age: 7.3 million years.
Name: Betelgeuse, Alpha Orion, α ORION, 58 ORONA, HR 2061, BD + 7 ° 1055, HD 39801, FK5 224, HIP 27989, SAO 113271, GC 7451, CCDM J05552 + 0724AP, AAVSO 0549 + 07.

The biggest visible star

On the right shoulder of Orion, in the wint of a winter hexagon, shines in the winter heavens beauty Bethelgeuse.

Constellation Orion. Bethelgeuse - a reddish-orange star in the upper left corner of the constellation.

This star is not in vain called Alpha Orion, although a dazzling bluish rigleel - in the photo in the lower right corner - most of the time brighter. Betelgeuse - in many ways a unique star, which many years have been examined by astronomers and open all new and new interesting facts.

First, Bethelgeuse is one of the biggest stars in the universe. Its diameter larger than the diameter of the Sun is about a thousand times. Even the largest of the famous stars, VY large PSA, exceeds Bethelgeuse to diameter only twice (and, accordingly, eight times in volume). So this star is not for nothing wearing the proud title of red supergiant.

If it were on the place of the Sun, it would almost fill the orbit of Saturn:

Only eight famous stars (all - red hypergigimans) are superior to Bethelgeuse in terms of volume, but they all look very dull on earthly sky. The reason is simple: Bethelgeuse is much closer to all of them.

Betelgeuse 640 light years, and on the scale of the galaxy is very small. Betelgeuse is the closest to us the supergiant.

From this follows an interesting conclusion: Bethelgeuses on the earthly sky has the largest visible diameter of all stars (of course, after the sun.)

It is clear that all that in diameter is less angular momentum, the human eye is perceived as a point. The angular diameters of absolutely all stars (except for the sun) are less angular minute, so they all look like points. In fact, of course, all their angular diameters are different. The angular diameter of Bethelgieuse was first determined in 1920 as 0.047 angular seconds, which was the largest of the angular diameters of stars known then. Since then, truth was found invisible in the northern hemisphere star R gold fish, the angular diameter of which was 0.057 angular second. But she and in the southern one hemisphere is almost not visible: at the gloss maximum, it is hardly visible to the naked eye, and in a minimum it is not in every telescope can be seen. R Golden fish is so cold, which radiates basically infrared radiation. But since then, the angular dimensions were clarified, and for Bethelgiuse the visible diameter is determined from 0.056 to 0.059 angular second, which returns to it the lost positions of the largest visible stars. Not so easy to fasten the queen of the Winter Heaven!

It is not surprising that Bethelgeuse was the first star for which the disk photographs were received. That is, on which the star looked not a point, but a disc. (The fact that bright stars look disks on the above photograph - the conventionality of the image that can only transmit the difference in brightness only by difference in size). The photo was made by the Hubble orbital telescope in 1995.

This is a historic image in ultraviolet light (NASA / ESA Credit):

It is clear that the colors in the photograph are conditional: the better, the colder. A bright stain near the center of the star is considered one of her poles, that is, the axis of rotation of Bethelgeuse is directed almost to us, but a little to the side.

More recently, in July of the past (2009) of the year, on the ground telescope Very Large Telescope (VLT) new photos of Bethelgeuse were made to Chile. Here is one of them:

On the received photos it can be seen that Betelgeuse has a tail. This tail stretches on six radii of the Bethelgeis itself (comparable with the distance from the sun to Neptune). What is this tail, why he is there and what means, scientists do not know themselves, although there are plenty of assumptions.

Fantasy Betelgeuse

It is interesting to bring the main parameters of Bethelgeuse. We will see that almost all of the parameters of Bethelgeuse turns out to be one of the "winners" of the famous universe.

By diameter, as already mentioned, Bethelgeuse exceeds the sun about a thousand times. It is very difficult to accurately determine the diameter and the distance from the Sun of a single star, and the Bethelgeuse satellites did not find (although it is very possible that they are, they simply cannot see them next to such a bullfin). But Bethelgeuse is so huge that its diameter managed to measure "directly", i.e. With the help of the interferometer, this operation was able to apply to a very small number of stars, and Bethelgeuse was the first.

By the mass of Bethelgeuse, the sun exceeds at about 15 times (from 10 to 20 - here to measure a mass of a single star is generally the highest aerobatics of astrometry, more precisely, it has not yet been possible). How so, in diameter a thousand times more, it means, in terms of billion times more, and by weight only 15 times, what is the density there? But this. And if we take into account that the star kernel is much more dense of its outer layers, then the external layers of Bethelgeuse is much more hotted all that we can imagine, except for the interstellar space, in what Bethelgeuse, like almost every star, turns very gradually, i.e. It is impossible to determine exactly where the star ends and the interstellar space begins. But nevertheless, fifteen the mass of the Sun is quite a lot for the star. Only 120 famous stars are heavier than Bethelgeuse.

What how many times is Bethelgeuse surpasses the sun in brightness? One hundred thirty-five thousand times! True, it is taking into account infrared radiation, and in the visible light about a hundred thousand times. That is, if you mentally put Bethelgeuse and the sun at the same distance, Bethelgeuse would be one hundred thousand times brighter. In the list of the most powerful famous stars Bethelgis takes about twenty-fifth position (approximately because the exact brightness of many hypergigimants is definitely not known). If placing Betelgeuse to the standard distance in ten parsekops from the ground (about 32 light years), it would be visible in the afternoon, and at night the objects would throw the shadows during its light. But it is better not to put it there, because the radiation of supergianta is such a thing to which there are better to look at living beings. It seems that the lack of close supergigants (of any color) is one of the living conditions on Earth.

The temperature of the surface of Bethelgeuse is three and a half thousand Kelvinov (well, and ordinary degrees are also close to that). For the star it is a bit; Our sun has a surface temperature of 5,700 K, that is, twice hot. That is, Bethelgeuse is a "cold" star, one of the coldest famous stars. The temperature of the star determines its color, more precisely, the shade of the glow. Those mysterious people who manage to see the stars with color, definitely determine the color of Bethelgueis as expressed reddish (see the epigraph). Therefore, Betelgeuse is called red supergiant. Do not think that it is really bright red, like poppy: rather the surface of its yellowish-orange.

Presumably, it looks like the surface of Bethelgeuse.

Above, I mentioned that the visible diameter of Bethelgeuse is from 0.056 to 0.059 angular second. This scatter is not due to the inaccuracies of measurements. And because of the fact that the body of the star pulsates with the approximate period of several years, changing and size, and brightness. It would be logical to assume that when decreasing dimensions, the brightness of the star will also decrease, but in fact everything happens exactly the opposite: in a minimum of the size of Bethelgeuse, it acquires the maximum brightness. At the maximum brilliance, Bethelgeuse turns out to be brighter than Rigel, whose stellar value is 0.18, that is, the brightest star in the constellation. Therefore, in the brilliance of Bethelgei, it is quite eligible for the designation of Alpha Orion.

In itself, it is not surprising: warming up the star during compression is a common place in astrophysics (due to the transition of gravitational potential energy into kinetic, who knows the wording more precisely, correct me). But this is why Bethelgeuse is so pulsy? What kind of processes occur in her inside? No one knows.

Lady Youth Giant Star

Remember, we talked about how Yun Sirius is only 250 million years? So, Betelgeuse compared to Sirius is a small child: she is only 10 million years old! When she caught fire, on Earth dinosaurs have long been extinct, mammals have already occupied the main position on land, the continents almost accepted their current outlines, the most young mountain systems (including Himalayas) have erected. Realize that the Ural Mountains are much older than Bethelgeuse!

But unlike Sirius, who did not understand where he came from, it was even clear where Bethelgeuse came from.

Orion is a unique constellation: the stars in it not only for our eyes, but also in reality is quite close to each other in space. And by age is also close. The fact is that most of the Orion is occupied by a giant nebula - the molecular cloud of Orion, in which the intensive processes of star formation are coming (that is, this is a "star cradle", besides, almost closest to earth). Young stars are flying out of this nebula in all directions. From these young, hot blue stars, exemplary peers, relatively close to the place of their birth, and is Orion.

But if all the other stars in Orion are hot to the blue (which is typical for young stars), then why the Bethelgei is something red?

Because big very much.

The lifetime of the star is determined by how much time in the poison of the star hydrogen turns into a helium (People, Likbez about why stars are burning, you need to write?)It would seem that the more harder the star, the more hydrogen in it, and the longer she should burn. But then again, the opposite is again: the more heavier than the star, the greater the temperature in her core and the faster thermonuclear reaction goes there. Since Betelgeuse was born heavier and more than his peers, Bellatrix and other Orion's stars, her hydrogen in her nucleus burned faster and just a few million years burned. And after the burnout of hydrogen in the kernel for the star comes the death stage - the transformation in the Red Giant. In the case of Betelgeuse, it turned into red supergiant.

That is, despite the fact that by age Bethelgeuse one of the most young stars in the universe, she is already on the verge of death. Alas, large hot stars live very long, taking off their stormy life just a few million years. There are several more red hypergigids who have entered the last phase of their development, but they are all very far from us. Therefore, Bethelgeuse provides a unique, although the sad opportunity, studying the last phase of the star's life from a relatively close distance.

It is known that over the past 15 years, Bethelgeuse has decreased in diameter by 15 percent. This is a constant reduction that is not associated with ripples. Mathematical models of stars say that such a reduction in size is also a sign of approaching the end of the star evolution.

What will happen to Bethelgei next? This is not a peaceful Sirius-chief, now Sirius B, who just quietly dropped his scarlet shells and turned into white dwarf. Bethielgea mass is so great that she will have to lose the shell in one of the grand explosions that are known for the Universe - in the outbreak of a supernovae.

And it will be the closest to Earth supernova, perhaps for the entire existence of the Earth. It is because there is no closer and there was not a single supergiant: supergiangants doomed to finish their evolution in the outbursts of supernovae, supernova remains are characteristic and easily determined, so there is no one nearby.

When it will be? Bethelgeuse will explode over the next millennium. Possibly tomorrow.

How will it look like? Instead of a shining point in the sky, a dazzling brightness disk will appear, which will be visible in the afternoon, and at night it will be possible to read during its light. This disc will slowly fill up, and probably in a few months the night sky will return to a normal state. In place of Betelgeuse, an amazing beauty arises the nebula, which will be seen by the naked eye for several years. Then nothing will be visible.

What will remain from Bethelgeuse? No, not white dwarf - for this it is too heavy. The neutron star (pulsar) remains or a black hole.

How will this affect life on earth? Most likely nothing. Betelgeuse is far enough from the ground that the hard radiation from the outbreak of supernova was dissipated in space without reaching the solar system, and the fact that it will declare, will affect the solar magnetosphere. Only if the axis of rotation by Bethelgeuse was directed directly to the ground, then the rigid gamma radiation would be painfully whipped by the biosphere. But we know from the Hubble photos that the axis of rotation of Bethelgeuse passes away from the ground. So the celestial fireworks can be admired from the ground completely safely.

The same fate is waiting for Rigel, Bellatrix and other bright Orion Stars over the next tens of millions of years. Before turning in the Red Sukhganta Bethelgeuse, obviously was the same hot blue star as they. Young stars will come to replace them, while those hidden from us in the depths of the Orion molecular cloud.

Other photos of the stars can be found.

One of the stars at the night sky is the brightest Bethelgei. It is located in the Constellation of Orion. It can be seen on the night sky even without special devices. Star dimensions are affected by imagination. It is by its mass surpasses the mass of the Sun 20 times, and in diameter - more than 1000 times. The distance to Bethelgieuse is calculated just over 600 light years (the distance overlaid by the light for the year at a speed of 300,000 km / h is 1 light year).

Bethelgei (translated from Arabic - "twin arma") is a supermassive red giant. If you take it and put on the place of the Sun, then it would achieve the orbits of Jupiter, while covering all the planets, inside. Our sun will allocate light 50 thousand times less, if compared with Bethelgeuse. For galactic standards, this is a young star - about 10 million years. Stars belonging to red superdigids live very little. Considering, a huge pressure inside the star created by its colossal mass, it burns its fuel very quickly, which directly affects the duration of the life of the star itself.

Star life

The birth of a star is no different from the birth of other stars. In the expanses of the galaxy is formed, a molecular cloud of spherical shape - protocol has formed. Then the thermonuclear synthesis was launched under a huge pressure of the mass of the star. This process leads to heating the kernel. At this stage, hydrogen begins, turns into helium, while the huge energy is released into space. Thanks to this energy, the star is not compressed.

With a time of time, hydrogen ends that, accordingly, the loss of energy and the star begins to shrink. The kernel begins with even greater power to shrink until the helium begins to move to another condition - turn into carbon. Then the helium flash occurs. At this point, the star begins to highlight the enormous amount of energy. From an ordinary star, it turns into a red giant. At this stage of life is Betelgeuse.

New elements (neon, oxygen, etc.) appear before iron formation. Over time, the fuel ends, and the kernel again begins to shrink. Inside the star there is a compression of the iron core, which subsequently becomes neutron. Then there is a huge explosion. This explosion is the formation of a supernova 2 type. Instead of the kernel, a black hole may form or a neutron star.

Is there any danger to land?

An unambiguous answer to the question when Bethelgeuse will explode, no. Some scientists believe that it will happen very soon (in the next 2 thousand years), and there are those who believe that it will happen much later. For our planet, this explosion does not carry this explosion. However, if the explosion occurs in our time, then you can observe an amazing picture in the sky. The brightness of Betelgeuse will be comparable to the moon, and during the day, and at night. However, after several years, visibility will weaken, and then gradually completely disappear. And in its place is formed.

Who among you did not want to witness an epochable care from the earthly skyscland of one of the most visible stars?

If you believe in some sources, the right shoulder of the heavenly hunter, at any time it can publish your last sigh in the form of a long and bright supernovae, leaving the empty, invisible to the naked eye.

It will completely change the appearance, so beautifully reviving the winter sky of our latitudes. Is it worth expecting this event on our century, and whether it rides the threat to our planet?

According to a number of news tapes, a grandeurial supernova can light up at any second. Bethelgeuse will increase its brightness thousands of times and will illuminate the sky for several months until it gradually goes out and will not leave after herself growing up with an invisible neutron star or a black hole in her center. Without a serious such cosmic catastrophe, we are not threatened to us if only one of the poles of the exploding star will not be directed towards the Earth. The flow of gamma rays and charged particles will create some problems with the magnetic situation and the ozone layer of the planet of its atmosphere. Is there any reason to trust such information, or are these regular media horror stories?

Probability of the explosion

Scientists do not deny the likelihood of such an outcome. However, it is not known for certain, whether the shovel will blow up tomorrow, or after a million years, it is also unknown whether it will explode at all. Despite all the power of modern astronomy, knowledge concerning the life of the stars seem to be anewly experience the infant period. The paradox of the existence of the giants, the problems of modeling of star formation in close systems raise the established scientific paradigms about the life of stars. Opening objects that do not enter into the framework of existing theories, rather create more questions than answers. An example of this is even the well-known Bethelgeuse, which would seem to know everything.

Unknown Bethelgeuse

What do we know about Betelgeuse? An astronomer, who pushed his finger into a reddish light, will tell about its enormous sizes, variability and other publicly available facts. And to initiate the imagination of the listener, will add that, if you put it on the place of the Sun, then all the planets of the earth group would be in the depths of supergianta, and perhaps even. In this, he will be right, but no matter how strange, a professional astronomer will be able to operate the same set of knowledge about Red Gigan. For example, it has not yet been established accurate size, mass and distances to Betelgeuse.

The distances to the star are estimated in such gross limits as 420-650, some sources give both horrific boundaries from 180 to 1300 light years. Evaluation of the magnitude of the mass and radius is also not distinguished by accuracy and vary in the range of 13-17 solar mass and 950-1200 solar radius, respectively. Such great discrepancies is explained by the fact that, due to its remoteness, the distance to Bethelgeuse cannot be measured by the method of one-year parallax. In addition, Betelgeuse is not a double star, nor enters any close cluster. Such a feature does not allow to correctly assess the mass and other characteristics of the star, including absolute luminosity.

Even the fact that Bethelgeuse has become the first star (naturally, after the sun), which was able to measure the corner size and get a detailed image of its disk, in fact, does not give us any significant data regarding its parameters and nature.

Similarly, the situation is with all the "star" section of astronomy. Scientists not only have to develop new models that describe the mechanisms of education, evolution and death of the stars, but also to drag oldly radical. For example, how to explain the existence, recently open, stars with a weighing 200-250 solar, if the upper theoretical limit until recently was estimated at 150 solar masses? How to explain the nature of gamma bursts? Other discoveries that will continue to put in an astronomer deadlocks are not far off.

Will the explosion?

Returning to Betelgeuse, you can make a kind of verdict of those sources that declare an inevitable appearance on our chaise of the brightest "farewell fireworks". Astronomers make it clear what event is that an event that has a very real probability of happening in our eyes, but this probability is extremely small, and it is not possible to evaluate it. Naturally, the media, trying to revive the public, alieve these cautious statements on their own way.

Supernovae explosions refer to those space events that are observed de facto. There was no case in science to register a super-explosion, which was predicted and waited in advance. For this reason, astronomers can only indirectly judge the processes preceding the explosion.

Regarding Bethelgei, scientists confidently declare that the star is in its final life step, when the current percentage of carbon and subsequent heavy elements can no longer support stable thermonuclear processes. According to existing models, it will lead to the cessation of a hydrodynamic star equilibrium, in other words - to a supernova explosion. There is also the possibility that Bethelgeuse will complete his life not so bright, but simply will gradually drop his shell, turning into an oxygen-neon white dwarf.

In any case, modern science is unable to assign an accurate explosion date or reject the fact that he will. The ariser in the media arising in the media over the appearance of the "second Sun" broke out after disputes arose in the global astronomical community about the rapid lowering of the average brightness and the size of Bethelgeuse. Many astronomers confidently declared that such a phenomenon is explained by a frene explosion, which on cosmic standards will come about - for the two nearest millennium. Others are more restrained in their forecasts, and explain the stars of stars with certain temporary or periodic processes. This undeclared astronomical dispute shows how much new and unknown to know scientists.

Dream of a galactic scale

Undoubtedly, bright lights in the sky would inspire people on the forgotten thoughts on how insignificant in the universe. It is only for a moment for a moment to think that the same explosion can observe the possible inhabitants of other distant systems of our immense galaxy. The real invaluable benefit of such star news will bring astronomers. There is such a close and expected supernovable explosion on our century, in his direction, curious eyes will be sent to all types of telescopes and other equipment. In convulsive delight, scientists will score their databases with tons of valuable information coming with the light of the explosion. Daily from all over the world will be issued information about the next sensational discovery. But these are only foggy dreams.

Reality dictates its rules. Betelgei's explosion is not only worth afraid or even expect him to see, in fact he can only dream of him. Moreover, the bright light, he hesgged in our eyes, would hardly compare in brightness with the full moon and would not bring us any significant harm. In the meantime, we have the opportunity to observe the Red Star Orion and hope that astronomers will replenish their knowledge without such rare and amazing events.

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List of brightest stars

№	Distance, St. years	Visible value	Absolute value	Spectral class	Heavenly hemisphere
0	0,0000158	−26,72	4,8	G2V.
1	8,6	−1,46	1,4	A1VM.	South
2	310	−0,72	−5,53	A9II.	South
3	4,3	−0,27	4,06	G2V + K1V.	South
4	34	−0,04	−0,3	K1.5iiip.	North
5	25	0,03 (MC)	0,6	A0VA.	North
6	41	0,08	−0,5	G6III + G2III.	North
7	~870	0.12 (MC)	−7	B8iae.	South
8	11,4	0,38	2,6	F5IV-V.	North
9	69	0,46	−1,3	B3VNP.	South
10	~530	0.50 (MC)	−5,14	M2iab.	North
11	~400	0.61 (MC)	−4,4	B1III.	South
12

The star "Betelgeuse" is a red supergiant from the stationary class. It is at the end of the life path. In the near future, the star will turn into a powerful supernova. Scientists suggest that on the earthly heaven, she will take place the second moon for a couple of weeks. It will happen because it is near the sun.

Constellation of the Red Giant Betelgeuse

Bethelgeuse and Rigel are two supergiant in the constellation Orion. The first is a red supergiant, while the Rigel is a blue supergiant.

Alpha Orion - variable. Glitter her in the night sky ranges from 0.4 to 1.4 star magnitudes. Therefore, Bethelgeuse and the Bolt are somewhat competing with each other in brightness of the glow. At the same time Alpha Orion is sometimes able to eclipse the luminosity beam.

The name of red supergiant should have been different. But because of the error that happened, the red giant received its real name.

Constellation Orion.

How the name appears

The name of the Red Giant Orion came from Arab countries. In Arabic, the name of the giant sounded like "YAD-Al Jauza", that is, in translation - "Hand of the twin". In the Middle Ages, Arabic hieroglyph, which sounded like "th", was confused with the hieroglyph "b".

Therefore, as a basis was made erroneous importance in the Arab "Betheldjuz". Translated as "Twins House". In Arabic astronomy, the Constellation of Orion is called "Gemini".

Attention! Do not confuse with the real constellation of twins.

In addition to this name, the red giant is other names:

Tower (on the Persian "hand");
Clari (on the Coptic "bandage");
Hell-dira (from the Arab Hand);
Ardra (Hindi Language).

How to see in the night sky

Betelgeuse can be seen at the night sky of the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth.

The red supergigant is in the Constellation of Orion, which means that it takes central position in the winter sky. It can be distinguished even on the city sky in February.

This constellation is called winter, because only in the cold period of the year, it ranks on the southern side of the sky. Astronomers are called - this is a climax. Any luminaries, which is located on the south side of the sky, is convenient to observe for an amateur astronomy.

It appears in January in the east immediately after the Sonse Suck. And on March 10, a person will be able to see her already in the south in the evening. At this time of the year, Bethelgeuse is visible in all regions of the Earth.

Important! In Sydney, Cape Town, Buen Aires Red Sukhgiant rises by 49 degrees in the sky.

Now about where the star is located.

If you look directly to Orion's belt, then Bethelgeuse is on the left and more than three other, which lie on one straight line. The light star gives reddish. Red giant is the left shoulder of the hunter, and Bellatrix is \u200b\u200bright.

Main characteristics

In brightness, red supergigant takes the 9th place in the night sky. Its glitter from 0.2 to 1.9 star magnitude varies within 2070 days. Refers to the spectral class M1-2 La Lab.

Star size

The star radius is equal to 600 diameters of the sun. She is 1400 times more of him. And the mass is equal to 20 masses of the sun. And the volume of 300 million times the volume of the lamination of the Earth.

The atmosphere of the star is resolved, and the density is much lower than the Sun. The angular diameter of it is 0.050 angular seconds. It changes depending on the luminosity of the giant.

The radius of astronomers was measured using a spatial IR interferometer. A period of rotation of the star was calculated, which is 18 years old.

Important! In 1920, Betheldjuz became the first after the Sun, whose angular diameter was measured by astronomers.

Comparison of Bethelgueize sizes with other space objects

Temperature

The temperature of red supergiant is 3000 degrees on Kelvin (2726.8 Celsius). Red supergigant is much colder than the sun. Since the temperature of the stars of the solar system is 5547 degrees on Kelvin (5273.9 degrees Celsius). It is the low temperature that gives the star to her reddish tint.

Remoteness

Red supergiant is located at a distance of 643 light years from the solar system. This is far enough.

When the star of the explosion and the formation of the star into the supernova, which the astronomers prophesy to this red superdgigant, who came to the earth to the earth will not disturb the vital activity of all organisms on the planet.

The main characteristics can be found in the table:

Bethelgeuse	Alpha Orion.
Constellation	Orion
Coordinates	05h 55m 10.3053c (direct climbing), + 07 ° 24 '25.426 "(declination).
Value (visible spectrum)	0.42 (0.3-1.2)
Value: (j-strip)	-2.99
Spectral class	M2iab.
Absolute value	-6.02
Remoteness	643 light years
Type of variable	SR (semoregular variable)
Massiveness	7.7-20 Sunny
Radius	950-1200 Sunny
Luminosity	120,000 Sunny
Temperature mark	3140-3641 K.
Rotational speed	5 km / s
Age	7.3 million years
Name	Betelgeuse, Alpha Orion, α Orion, 58 Oraona, HR 2061, BD + 7 ° 1055, HD 39801, FK5 224, HIP 27989, SAO 113271, GC 7451, CCDM J05552 + 0724AP, AAVSO 0549 + 07

Facts about Red Giant

Bethelgeuse radius is inconsistent. It changes from time to time the shape and has an asymmetric shell with a small convexity. This speaks about two things:

The star every year loses its own mass, due to the gas jets from the surface.
Inside it there is a companion, which makes iterate eccentric.

Scientists who observe the star, found that since 1993, its dimensions decreased by 15%, and the brightness remained the same.

About 5 shells around the giant were found. And already in the ninth year, the twenty-first one was discovered in 30 astronomical units.

Astronomers in 2012 were predicted that the giant would be able to enter the interstellar dust in twelve thousand years. And a year before that, one of the scientists included it in the disaster menu, which it can provoke in 2012.

Attention! So far, scientists cannot determine the systematic change of the diameter of the star, as it is pulsating.

The following reasons for decreasing dimensions are allowed by scientists:

changing the brightness of a plurality of sections on the surface of supergiant. This can cause a decrease on one side and an increase on the other side of the shine of the star. On Earth, this can be accepted for changing diameter;
suggest that big stars are not spherical, so Bethelgeuse has bulges;
the third assumption is that astronomers see not the real stars diameter. In fact, it may be a layer of dense gas. And its movements create the appearance of a change in the size of Alpha Orion.

Attention! Alpha Orion envelops a gas nebula, which for a long time could not see astronomers due to bright light emitted by Bethelgeuse.

Another interesting fact is the entry of Bethelgeuse to the winter triangle, which is a priest, Sirius and this supergiant.

Winter triangle

In the culture of the peoples of the world

The star Bethelgeis was called differently in different peoples of the world. Each nationality has its own beliefs and the term myths of distant ancestors about the emergence of the star.

For example, in Brazil, it is called Hilkavai in honor of the hero, whose leg broke his wife.

In Australia, she was given a name consisting of two words, "Sovic Eyes". In the representation of Australians, two stars located on the shoulders of Orion reminded them the eyes of these night birds.

In South Africa, it is called Lvom, which hunts over three zebras.

In works and films

Red supergigant is mentioned in works, poems and films of Russian and foreign authors. For example, in the entire famous film "Planet Monkeys" around this star rotates Planet Sorora. It is from her and flew to the ground with intelligence, primates.

One of the heroes of the sensational film "Hitchhiker for the Galaxy" was born and lives on the planet, whose sun is Betheldjuz.

Danish writer Niels Nielsen also mentioned this star in his works. His novel "Sold By Planet" describes how "Planet Hunters" was killed by Alpha Orion a small satellite and brought to Earth.

In 1956, Varlam Shalamov mentioned the star in his "nuclear poem".

Victor Nekrasov, who wrote a work "In the trenches of Stalingrad" also writes about this star. This is how the lines sound: "Two steps from us the composition with a flammable, it is clearly seen from here. All the time the kerosene is in thin rods from bullets in the tank. Fighters run there at night to fill the lamps. According to the old, since childhood, I'm still habit, I am looking for familiar constellations in the sky. Orion - four bright stars and a view of three smaller. And one more is very small, almost imperceptible. Some of them are called Betelgeuse, I do not remember what. Somewhere there must be Aldebaran, but I have already forgotten where it is located. Someone puts my hand on my shoulder. I shudder. "

The star and the famous novel Kurt Wanneguite "Sirena Titan" is mentioned. The hero of the work exists in the form of a wave, which pulsates the spiral around the sun and betelgeuse.

Roger Zelazna has a novel called the "light of sullen". The action of this product is played at one of the planets of the red giant at the time before the explosion of supernova.

Bethelgeuse is mentioned in the poem of the Arseny of the Tarkov "Star Catalog", written in 1998.

Mention of the star Bitljus is in the film "Razor Running Bladew." When the hero of Roy Batty dies, he calls her shoulder of Orion: "I saw something that you, people, just do not believe. Burning warships on the approaches to the shoulder of Orion. I saw the Si-rays ... shimmering in the darkness near the gate of a tangayizer. And all these moments will disappear in time like tears in the rain. It's time to die. "

One of the writers wears the name and surname to see Bethelgeuse. He has a poem dedicated to Alfer Orion.

Ukrainian rock band Tabula Rasa dedicated the Red Giant Song - "Randevu on Bethelgeuse."

Comparison with the Sun.

Compared to the Sun Bethelgeuse many times more.

If it is placed in a sunny system, then it will take the distance to Jupiter. With a decrease in its diameter, it will border the orbit of Mars.

Brightness Bethelgeuse lather the land is 100,000 times. And age is equal to 10 billion years. While the sun is just about 5 billion.

Scientists are increasingly thinking about Betelgei's behavior. Because the red giant also behaves like the sun. It has localized points, where the temperature is above another surface and place where the temperature is below.

Despite the fact that the shape of the Sun is spherical, and in red supergianta - in the form of potatoes. This causes bewilderment in scientists.

Sun and Bethelgeuse

Belt Betelgeuse

Red giant passes the latest carbon burning stage. Knowing what processes occur inside the luminary, scientists can tell the future of Bethelgeuse. For example, with a rapid explosion, iron, nickel, gold are formed inside it. With a slow explosion, gases such as carbon, oxygen, barium are formed.

Scientists believe that the red supergigant is ready to become a supernova. A few more thousands of years, and maybe earlier, this star will explode, having wrapped the reassembly energy to nearby space objects. Since there is so much energy out of it, how much of its life is distinguished from the sun.

Belt Betelgeuse

The solar system, inside which the land is located, is located far from the red giant. Therefore, it is assumed that the blast of the problems will not create. However, its glow will be markedly on Earth. This explosion will be able to observe people with a naked eye.

A flash for a long time will remain in the sky in the form of an extra moon at night. After a few centuries, a black fool or a neutrino star is formed from the blown red giant. And around it will appear a new nebula.

In another hypothesis, astronomers suggest that the explosion will nevertheless bring harm to the earth and its inhabitants.

First of all, such a number of energy distinguished from Bethelgeuse may disrupt the work of satellites, mobile communications and the Internet on the planet. Polar radiance will be brighter.

Moreover, the explosion can lead to an unfavorable effect on nature, which will lead to the extinction of certain types of animals and a small cooling. But these are all assumptions.

According to other data, Bethelgeuse will relieve his shell and become white dwarf. This hypothesis is more believable.

Betljus is already losing its composition in huge quantities, gradually forming a gas and dust clouds around him.

At the same time causes concern to the stars. It is believed that this is another object, and not a stream carrying into space, Alpha Orion particles. If this hypothesis is confirmed, you should expect a collision of Bethelgeuse with this object.

This is the bulge that scientists are called while a gas loop, a mantle discarded from themselves, forms a strong interstellar flow.

If the explosion happens, then people will first be the audience an incredible show of the explosion supernova. Because such explosions of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy occur once a few thousand years.

There is another hypothesis that Bethelgeuse has already exploded.

And her explosion will be seen only after five hundred years of descendants of modern people. Since it is too far away from the solar system. Its real light will reach the ground only in a few hundred years. According to the law of energy spread in a cosmic vacuum, the farther source, the later the world will see his light.