Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2020 January 1
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             Betelgeuse Imagined
                 Illustration Credit: [3]ESO, [4]L. Calcada

   Explanation: Why is Betelgeuse fading? No one knows. [5]Betelgeuse, one
   of the brightest and [6]most recognized stars in the night sky, is only
   [7]half as bright as it used to be only five months ago. Such
   variability is likely just [8]normal behavior for this famously
   variable [9]supergiant, but the recent dimming has rekindled discussion
   on how long it may be before [10]Betelgeuse does go supernova. Known
   for its red color, [11]Betelgeuse is one of the few stars to be
   [12]re[13]solved by modern telescopes, although only barely. The
   [14]featured artist's illustration imagines how [15]Betelgeuse might
   look up close. [16]Betelgeuse is thought to have a [17]complex and
   [18]tumultuous surface that frequently throws impressive flares. Were
   it to replace the Sun ([19]not recommended), its surface would extend
   out near the orbit of [20]Jupiter, while gas plumes would bubble out
   past [21]Neptune. Since [22]Betelgeuse is about 700 light years away,
   its eventual supernova will not endanger life on Earth even though
   [23]its brightness may rival that of a full Moon. Astronomers -- both
   amateur and professional -- will surely [24]continue to monitor
   Betelgeuse as this new decade unfolds.

     Free Presentation: [25]APOD Editor to show best astronomy images of
                2019 -- and the decade -- in NYC on January 3
                       Tomorrow's picture: open space
     __________________________________________________________________

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    Authors & editors: [37]Robert Nemiroff ([38]MTU) & [39]Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([40]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Phillip Newman [41]Specific rights apply.
              [42]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices
                A service of: [43]ASD at [44]NASA / [45]GSFC
                           & [46]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix2015.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2001/BetelgeuseImagined_EsoCalcada_2662.jpg
   3. https://www.eso.org/
   4. https://luiscalcada.com/about
   5. https://www.aavso.org/vsots_alphaori
   6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Y4UoPVDH8
   7. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2001/AlphaOriLightCurve_AAVSO.jpg
   8. https://www.aavso.org/sites/default/files/images/LTbetelgeuse.jpg
   9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supergiant_star
  10. https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/dont-panic-betelgeuse-is-almost-certainly-not-about-to-explode
  11. https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2019/12/25/is-betelgeuse-about-to-explode/
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100106.html
  13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betelgeuse#/media/File:Betelgeuse_captured_by_ALMA.jpg
  14. https://www.eso.org/public/images/eso0927d/
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180321.html
  16. https://www.universetoday.com/144465/waiting-for-betelgeuse-whats-up-with-the-tempestuous-star/
  17. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap001222.html
  18. https://www.astro.uu.se/~bf/movie/dst35gm04n26/movie.html
  19. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yzPdCk_Kc30/UcsbcNxTCKI/AAAAAAAAB-I/9bTfzfm9KKw/s1600/scared_cat_is_really_scared-e1349731123898.jpg
  20. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/jupiter/overview/
  21. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/neptune/overview/
  22. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betelgeuse
  23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap190821.html
  24. https://www.aavso.org/lcg
  25. http://asterisk.apod.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=40052
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap191231.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix2015.html
  28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  30. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  31. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  34. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  35. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=200101
  36. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200102.html
  37. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html
  38. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/
  39. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html
  40. http://www.astro.umd.edu/
  41. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  42. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  43. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  44. https://www.nasa.gov/
  45. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  46. http://www.mtu.edu/