The Star Betelgeuse is Acting Strange, And Might Even Explode

Orion and his belt are one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky. Seen around the world every day, it would be pretty obvious if something weird was going on, and that is exactly what casual observers and scientists alike have pounced on. Betelgeuse, one of the 10 brightest stars in the sky, has begun to dim, a common sign that a star is about to go supernova. So significant is the brightness of Betelgeuse that the entire view of the Orion constellation has shifted in its visibility. So what is happening in that corner of our night sky? Is this massive star going to be visible from space? History offers some insight.

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via What the Betelgeuse explosion would look like from Earth | Rumble Viral

At the moment that Betelgeuse would explode, this is a simulation of how it would look in the night sky to us. Scientists aren't even sure if the star has already exploded in the last 4 centuries, but it could happen in the next millenia or so if not. Maybe no in our lifetime, but closer than we might have thought.
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via What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova? (4K UHD) | V101 Science

Betelgeuse has a distinctly red hue, and up until recently has been one of the most noticeable stars in the sky. The star is relatively "young" at only 10 million years old. It is also one of the largest stars known, besides R Doradus and the Sun.
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via What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova? (4K UHD) | V101 Science

Betelgeuse is 640 light years away from Earth, with a mass about 10 to 20 times that of our Sun. However, though the star has been a focal point in the Orion constellation, it has started to slowly drift away from its position, and moves approximately 30 kilometers per second. It also shines 135,000 times brighter than the Sun.
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via What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova? (4K UHD) | V101 Science

Betelgeuse, due to its movement, gives off a bow shock, or a multi-colored wave of plasma that is released as a massive celestial object moves through space and interacts with materials within that space.
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via What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova? (4K UHD) | V101 Science

The Crab Nebula was the result of a supernova that occurred a little over 6500 years from Earth, and was observed by Chinese astronomers on July 4th 1054. To ancient astronomers the celestial explosion was visible in the sky for 23 days, but if they had had our technology, it would have been able to be seen for 2 years.
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via What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova? (4K UHD) | V101 Science

If Betelgeuse was to explode, it is 10 times closer to us, so the sight will be quite spectacular, and could be visible to the naked eye for months.
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via What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova? (4K UHD) | V101 Science

If this were to happen in our lifetime, the initial explosion should look something like this.
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via What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova? (4K UHD) | V101 Science

The explosion and expanding gases would be so bright it would be visible on the daytime, similar to what we sometimes see with the Moon, except for much longer.
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via What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova? (4K UHD) | V101 Science

The projected nebula that could be produced after Betelgeuse explodes would be massive, and as the star currently has an asymmetric envelope surrounding it that is 250 times its enormous size. This causes the star to continually lose mass, and slowly but surely spiral into eventual supernova.
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via What Will It Look Like When Betelgeuse Goes Supernova? (4K UHD) | V101 Science

This beautiful slow motion simulation is of the entire process of a star going supernova, and the released gas cloud from its collapsing center.