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Betelgeuse is really huge, comparable to the size of the orbit of Jupiter. I'm not an astrophysicist. It seems like that size would make surface asymmetries mor
by jackfoxy 7y ago
Betelgeuse is really huge, comparable to the size of the orbit of Jupiter. I'm not an astrophysicist. It seems like that size would make surface asymmetries more likely.
- asdfman123 7y agoGuys, please don't say the name a third time.
- shadowgovt 7y agoSize and perspective matter; a smaller object much closer to us could occlude Betelgeuse. Granted, that object would likely need to be both dark and travelling through interstellar space, two things that would by themselves be noteworthy. Unless it's something much, much closer and in the orbit of our own star... I wonder if they're ruled out Kuiper Belt objects or comets yet?
- gmueckl 7y agoThis dimming has been going on for a long time now. If an object within our solar system were to occlude that star, that wiuld only last a few minutes max before it exits the narrow line of sight again. Keppler's law ensures that. I would also assume that a gas cloud in interstellar space would be too homogeneous to occlude one part of a star much more than the rest.
- shadowgovt 7y agoI agree on the gas cloud estimate, which leaves us with exotic large extrasolar bodies if the star isn't actually changing shape (which IIUC, it also shouldn't be doing...) Curiouser and curiouser.