Ridge Runner Chronicles – January 11, 2023

By Editor | January 11, 2023 |

Is Betelgeuse About to Explode?

One of the nice things about astronomy is that there is no end to being fascinated and humbled by what we discover anytime we explore outer space from the comfort of our computers. Intellectually, it is a great way to get away from earthly issues and no matter how smart you think you are, it will definitely challenge your ability to comprehend what you are seeing. Take, for example, the controversy going on right now about Betelgeuse, a relatively young star that is significantly larger than the Sun and a star that is one of the brightest in our galaxy.
Betelgeuse has been the subject of astrological study for centuries. Perhaps you know it as that bright star on the right shoulder of “Orion, the Hunter” (“Orion” is the guy in the sky wearing the belt and sword). Chinese astronomers studied Betelgeuse over a thousand years ago when it was a bright yellow color. Today, Betelgeuse emits a deep red color instead of a yellow color but there are more significant changes going on right now. In late 2019, this star appeared to be pulsating and growing larger, but at the same time, it appeared to be growing dimmer and then brighter, making astronomers wonder if we have a very sick star on our hands. These changes on Betelgeuse over the last two years could even be seen with the naked eye.
Studies with the Hubble Telescope and now with the James Webb Space Telescope show that recently there has been a significant “surface mass ejection” on the surface of Betelgeuse, leading astronomers to believe that this star is about to explode. Frankly, this “surface mass ejection” looks as if Betelgeuse just lost part of its scalp. And here is what is really weird about this: Betelgeuse is currently estimated to be 650 light years away from us; what we are watching today actually happened 650 years ago. For all we know, Betelgeuse may have already exploded but it may take time—perhaps years from now–for us to see the actual explosion.
So what happens if and when Betelgeuse does “explode?” Astronomers speculate that when the explosion is visible to us on Earth, we will probably see a very bright light in the sky—so bright that at night, it will cast a shadow and during the day, it will look like a spotlight in the blue sky. This phenomenon could last as long as three months, after which time Betelgeuse could become a supernova and eventually a blackhole within our own galaxy, consuming whatever solar systems are in its path–just another example, perhaps, of how humbling the study of outer space can be.
Note: If you want to sound credible, it is always important that you correctly pronounce the scientific words involved in the topic you are pretending to know so much about, right? So if you want to tell others about Betelgeuse, you may be pleased to know that there are three distinct and acceptable ways to pronounce Betelgeuse and one of them (thankfully) is “Beetle-juice.”
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■ Bill Hoagland has practiced law in Alton for more than 50 years, but he has spent more than 70 years hunting, fishing and generally being in the great outdoors. His wife, Annie, shares his love of the outdoor life. Much of their spare time is spent on their farm in Calhoun County. Bill can be reached at [email protected].