News Astronomy

Betelgeuse has a tiny companion star hidden in plain sight

The effort to find it spans more than a century

The constellation Orion in the night sky.

After more than a century of speculation, data seem to confirm that Betelgeuse (the brightest star in the Orion constellation, shown here) has a much smaller star as an orbital companion.

James Stone/Moment/Getty Images Plus

By Lisa Grossman

Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse! The red supergiant that marks Orion’s left shoulder may have a tiny, unseen companion.

Two independent studies found evidence of a star about the same mass as the sun, orbiting Betelgeuse about once every 2,100 days.