Betelgeuse

alternative Betelguez

1. astronomyA bright-red supergiant intrinsic variable star, the second brightest star in the constellation Orion; Alpha (α) Orionis. It is the tenth brightest star in the nighttime, and one of the largest stars known.

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   Even if you don’t know it by name, the red supergiant star Betelgeuse is one of the most familiar sights in the heavens above—a gleaming ruddy dot at the shoulder of the constellation Orion. Although already quite difficult to overlook, Betelgeuse has become even more eye-catching across the past few years because of major changes in its appearance—unexpected fluctuations in its brightness that remain poorly understood.

   2023 May 15, Meghan Bartels, “Betelguese’s Brightening Raises Hopes for a Supernova Spectacle”, in Scientific American, archived from the original on 15 May 2023

   Synonyms: Alpha Orionis