What is the deal with Betelgeuse?
Details
Join our zoom meeting with Dr. Stella Kafka, astronomer and Director of AAVSO, the American Association of Variable Star Observers.
In October 2019 astronomers noticed that Betelgeuse entered one of its dimming episodes. Nothing unusual until Betelgeuse kept dimming past its known recorded minimum brightness. From the 7th brightest star in the sky, Betelgeuse eventually became the 21st, puzzling astronomers worldwide. This notable change in the star’s behavior gave rise to many theories for its dimming, including speculation on whether Betelgeuse has reached its fateful end as a supernova.
Thanks to the AAVSO observers who continued to provide critical data on this bright star, we now have a good idea of the star's physical properties and an interpretation for its dimming. This presentation will focus on the 2019-2020 Betelgeuse event, presenting key theories and research outcomes explaining it.
Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81502062598?pwd=TE93R0puKzF5UnFWZzFIUEd4cmdzdz09
Meeting ID: 815 0206 2598
Passcode: 415090