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Astronomers have recently been puzzled by the unusual dimming activity of the semiregular star Betelgeuse – a red supergiant located in the constellation of Orion, which is believed to be 1,400 times larger than the Sun.
Observers from all over the world have rushed to Twitter to share their suggestions of what could have potentially been going on and came to the extraordinary conclusion that Betelgeuse’s unusual activity might be a sign of an upcoming explosion and spectacular supernova event.
Head of Physics at Uppingham School Dr David Boyce said on his Twitter account that the sudden decrease in the star’s brightness was noticeable even to a general observer’s eye and suggested that if it is about to go supernova, then the explosion would give out “more energy” in just a few hours than throughout the millions of years of its existence.
“Whatever happens it will be worth watching. A supernova within our galaxy is a once in a lifetime spectacle. One as close as #betelgeuse would be one to wake the kiddies up for”, Dr Boyce concluded.
Netizens have been left ecstatic to hear news that they will possibly become witnesses to a rare astronomic event, with Betelgeuse turning into a type II supernova. However, many noticed that while the star is believed to be located more than 600 light years away from the Earth, the event may already have happened in the 1300s.