Space

Betelgeuse’s buddy leaves a wake in the giant star’s atmosphere

It’s the strongest evidence yet that a solar-mass object orbits the supergiant star

An illustration of Betelgeuse and a companion star leaving a wake in its atmosphere

This artist’s illustration shows the red supergiant star Betelgeuse orbited by a companion star (not to scale; Betelgeuse is hundreds of times larger than the real star). The companion star leaves a dense wake of gas as it travels through Betelgeuse’s atmosphere.

Elizabeth Wheatley/STScI, NASA, ESA

By Lisa Grossman

PHOENIX — Like a motorboat doing doughnuts in a lake, Betelgeuse’s companion star leaves a wake in the giant star’s atmosphere.