Giant spots may be the cause causing massive star Betelgeuse’s dimming.
Giant spots may be the cause behind massive star Betelgeuse's dimming.
Https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/2020/betelgeuseag.jpg MPIA Graphics (text - The Max Planck Society reports that astronomers observed an alarming 40% drop in its light output "between October 2019 and April 2020." http://production.geobeats.com/admin/stock_footages/29801 (text - Theories since have included a supernova explosion being imminent and that "dust, recently ejected by Betelgeuse," was obscuring the star.
Http://production.geobeats.com/admin/stock_footages/29882 (text - The society notes that "an international team of astronomers…[has] now demonstrated that temperature variations in…the luminous surface of the star…caused the brightness to drop." https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/2020/1-betelgeuseag.jpg ESO/M.
Montargès et al.
(text - (transition The most "plausible" explanation for that decrease is said to be "gigantic cool star spots, similar to sunspots, which…cover 50 to 70% of the star's surface." https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/2020/betelgeuseag.jpg (th MPIA Graphics (text -