Astronomers now have their strongest evidence yet that Betelgeuse, one of the best-known stars in the night sky, has a stellar companion. A team led by French astronomer Miguel Montargès used the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (ESO's VLT) to capture the clearest image so far of what is believed to be Betelgeuse B, a star orbiting the famous red supergiant.
"This is the conclusion of a century-long quest," says Montargès.
"We have shown that Betelgeuse is not single, it is accompanied by a faint stellar companion," says Montargès, astronomer at the Observatoire de Paris -- PSL, France, and lead author of the study published today in Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Betelgeuse -- a reddish star in the Orion constellation that is easily visible with the naked eye and is known to change in brightness -- has been watched by people for thousands of years. Even after centuries of scientific observation, however, the star continues to produce surprises.
A Century-Long Search for Betelgeuse B
