In late 2019 and early 2020, it experienced a historic drop in brightness, eventually attributed to a massive surface mass ejection that cooled into an obscuring dust cloud.
A red supergiant nearing the end of its life cycle. alpha orionis
Distinctive orange-red hue, visible even without equipment. Variability and Observation In late 2019 and early 2020, it experienced
Despite being only about 8 to 10 million years old —much younger than our 4.6-billion-year-old Sun—its massive size caused it to evolve rapidly. In late 2019 and early 2020
Recent studies suggest the existence of a smaller, Sun-like companion star (Betelgeuse B) that may influence its long-term brightness cycles. Life Cycle and Future