Astronomers have obtained the clearest image yet of a star that has long been suspected to orbit Betelgeuse. Using the SPHERE instrument on the European Southern Observatory’s (ESO) Very Large Telescope (VLT) in Chile, a team led by French astronomer Miguel Montargès captured light from what is believed to be Betelgeuse B. Previous observations had hinted at the companion’s existence, but this image provides the strongest evidence so far. The researchers found that Betelgeuse B is more massive than initially thought — its mass is two to three times that of the Sun. This discovery could help explain Betelgeuse’s fluctuating brightness and may influence our understanding of the star’s eventual fate, including the possibility of a supernova explosion. While the evidence is compelling, astronomers plan additional observations to definitively confirm the companion’s orbital motion.
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