Is there a planet called Betelgeuse?

Answer 1

No one knows when it actually will become a supernova but it will take hundreds of years for the light to reach us It could be anytime. Betelgeuse is about 640 light years away. So it could have exploded anytime since 1370 (The year when the first steel crossbow was used in war) and we still wouldn't know it. Astronomers believe that the supernova from Betelgeuse will be observable by human civilization.

It has recently been reported to have shrunk in diameter by 15% since 1993. It would seem that it is "pulsing", expanding and then contacting. A sure sign of a star at the end of its life.

Betelgeuse is estimated at 20 solar masses and rather old, between 3.5 and 6 million years, for such a heavy weight.

When Betelgeuse does explode, it will create a new major object in the winter sky. A planetary nebula will replace Betelgeuse as the shoulder star of Orion. Because of its orientation, it is unlikely to cause any major effect on Earth.

Some doomsayers have said that Betelgeuse will explode in 2012 - if this is the case, we won't know until the year 2652.

Answer 2

Betelgeuse is thought that it could explode within the next 1000 years, although it is even possible that it already has. As it is over 600 light years from us, we would not know that it had done until over 600 years after the event.

Answer 3

From our viewpoint on earth it hasn't yet, but since light takes 643 years or so to reach us from this star, there is a chance that it may have done so. This huge red supergiant star is nearing the end of it's life, when it finally explodes as a supernova, we will see a very bright spot in the Orion constellation for a day or so. Astronomers have seen a lot of variability in the stars brightness recently, indicating that it might be on it's way out soon. 'soon' in astronomical terms could mean another several thousand years though.

Answer 4

Betelgeuse is about 640 light years away, so it might have gone supernova any time after about 1370 AD, and we wouldn't know about it yet. That's because the light of the explosion would still be on its way to us. As of April 20, 2010, we have not seen any indication that Betelgeuse has exploded, and believe me, we would ALL have noticed!

Betelgeuse is a very large and massive star. Big stars "live fast and die young", so even though it is only about 10 million years old, astronomers believe that it is nearing the end of its life. Very massive stars like Betelgeuse typically die violent deaths in supernova explosions, and when this happens, it will be the second brightest object in the sky, after the Sun. It will probably outshine the Moon! You will certainly be able to see it even in the daytime. Astronomers expect this to happen "any time", but "any time" to an astronomer means any time within the next 10,000 years or so, so I don't expect it to happen tomorrow.

But don't worry; 640 light years away is almost certainly far enough away to be a safe distance for viewing the fireworks!

Answer 5

Betelgeuse is not a planet but a red supergiant star in the constellation of Orion. It is one of the brightest stars in the sky and is easily visible to the naked eye.

Answer 6

No- Not as far as I know. It should still be in the sky... And even if it has at 600 light years away you won't see anything for a good amount of years. :-)

Answer 7

No it isn't. If you want to find it , it is in the Midwestern sky and is diagonally left above the constellation Orion'.

Answer 8

Yes, it is predicted to be as bright as the moon for a couple weeks when it explodes, which would be visible quite easily.

Answer 9

Definetly but what kind,

Answer 10

No. Betelgeuse is a star.