Giant star Betelgeuse mysteriously shrinking: study

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 6/9/09 | AFP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (AFP) – A massive bright reddish star in the Orion constellation has mysteriously shrunk by over 15 percent in the last 15 years and astronomers have not yet determined why, according to a study released Tuesday.

Betelgeuse, considered a supergiant star, is so large that it would reach to Jupiter's orbit in our solar system. But at a radius of about five astronomical units, the star has shrunk in size since 1993 by a distance equivalent to Venus's orbit.

"To see this change is very striking," University of California, Berkley professor Charles Townes, who whon the 1964 Nobel Prize in physics for inventing the laser, said in a statement.

"We will be watching it carefully over the next few years to see if it will keep contracting or will go back up in size."

According to Townes, the star's size diminished "smoothly, but faster as the years progressed."

The findings were presented Tuesday at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Pasadena, California, and were based on readings collected at UC Berkeley's Infrared Spatial Interferometer (ISI) atop Mount Wilson in Southern California.

Edward Wishnow, a UC Berkeley research physicist who worked with Townes on the study, said the researchers did not know why the star was shrinking.

"Considering all that we know about galaxies and the distant universe, there are still lots of things we don't know about stars, including what happens as red giants near the ends of their lives," Wishnow said.

Red supergiant stars are suspected to explode into type-II supernovas, cosmic explosions due to a massive star's internal collapse.

[GOPJ]

Absent interstellar flight we would never get a better or cheaper view of such a rare occurrence.Z

You're right - BUT NASA's too busy consulting with Al Gore about the latest crackpot theory to deal with this important wonder...

[SoldierDad]

LOL - I just couldn’t resist.

[Salamander]

Is that a fabric sample from MO’s next new “Fashion Queen!!!” outfit?

[6ppc]

supernova - should be a good show

It's only 600 or so light years away...that's awful close for a supernova.

[Salamander]

Then you won't mind coming over and getting this thing out of my cellar?

[SoldierDad]

Oh, but it’s so cute!

[Salamander]

....;D

[SoldierDad]

LOL - got me.

[Salamander]

;^]

[Lancey Howard]

Ahh..! You hurt my eyes with that picture.
Guess I shouldn’t have stared..

[SoldierDad]

One the other hand, with that thing in your cellar you won’t have much of a rodent problem ;0)

[Deb]

Crap. Something else to worry about...global shrinking.

[Salamander]

My ancient dirt root cellar is so creepy that even rodents won’t go down there.... :-o

[NormsRevenge]

Crap. Something else to worry about...global shrinking.

—

Ouch. I’m headed for the jacuzzi. :-}

[SoldierDad]

Just damn! Okay, give me a window for when you want me to come remove the thing ;}

[SunkenCiv]

A massive bright reddish star in the Orion constellation has mysteriously shrunk by over 15 percent in the last 15 years and astronomers have not yet determined why, according to a study released Tuesday. Betelgeuse, considered a supergiant star, is so large that it would reach to Jupiter's orbit in our solar system. But at a radius of about five astronomical units, the star has shrunk in size since 1993 by a distance equivalent to Venus's orbit.

Thanks NormsRevenge.

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[SunkenCiv]

Thanks NormsRevenge.

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[BenLurkin]

<>i>shrunk by over 15 percent in the last 15 years

It is getting ready to go nova. Isn't that how we have always been told it happens? First a contraction and then...BOOM!

[Salamander]

After it’s too cold for the snakes and ginormous spiders to move very fast.

[RikaStrom]

So, am I bad for reading that as Beetlejuice?

:-)