SPHERE’s view of Betelgeuse in January 2019
The red supergiant star Betelgeuse, in the constellation of Orion, has been undergoing unprecedented dimming. This stunning image of the star’s surface was taken with the SPHERE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope in January 2019, before the star started to dim. When compared with the image taken in December 2019, it shows how much the star has faded and how its apparent shape has changed.
Credit:ESO/M. Montargès et al.
About the Image
| Id: | eso2003b |
| Type: | Observation |
| Release date: | 14 February 2020, 14:00 |
| Related releases: | eso2003 |
| Size: | 816 x 816 px |
About the Object
| Name: | Betelgeuse |
| Type: | Milky Way : Star : Evolutionary Stage : Red Supergiant |
| Constellation: | Orion |
| Category: | Stars |
Coordinates
| Position (RA): | 5 55 10.42 |
| Position (Dec): | 7° 24' 23.73" |
| Field of view: | 0.01 x 0.01 arcminutes |
| Orientation: | North is -0.0° left of vertical |
View in WorldWide Telescope:
Colours & filters
| Band | Wavelength | Telescope |
|---|---|---|
| Optical H-alpha | 645 nm | Very Large Telescope SPHERE |