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

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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

Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Optical
H-alpha
645 nmVery Large Telescope
SPHERE