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GAIA
Illustration, not a photograph

Star

Betelgeuse

A red supergiant in Orion's shoulder

Related to Orion

Description

Betelgeuse is one of the largest stars visible to the naked eye: placed at the centre of the Solar System it would extend beyond the orbit of Mars. It is variable, and in 2019–2020 it dimmed sharply, attributed to an ejected dust cloud.

Did you know?

It will eventually explode as a supernova, but 'soon' in astronomy can mean within 100,000 years.