Is Betelgeuse Going to Explode Soon?

You may have heard that Betelgeuse could explode as a supernova in the near future. Astronomers agree that the red giant star is nearing the end of its life, and it is expected to create a massive supernova before becoming a nebula. In fact, the star has even shown characteristic signs of dimming, which occur when a supernova is going to occur in the very near future. Some scientists believe that the star may have actually already gone supernova, and it will become visible to us in coming decades.

Due to the fact that it is located 650 light years away, we would not know if it had exploded as a supernova until 650 years after the event. Fortunately, this distance makes it so that the exploding star can be observed safely, and it will not cause harm to the Earth’s atmosphere or ecosystems. However, a supernova located significantly closer (e.g. within 160 light years) could cause damage to the Earth’s ozone layer. A supernova located within 50 light years would likely wipe out most of the planet’s ozone, which will lead to a mass extinction of almost all life on Earth.

Despite our distance from the star, we will still be able to witness and experience the power of this breathtaking spectacle. The supernova is expected to be at least as bright as the full moon (e.g. magnitude -12 or -13). However, it will be a concentrated point of light, which means that it will cast extremely sharp and distinct shadows. It may actually be as bright as magnitude -17 or -18. This would make it about as bright as a lightning flash around half a mile away.

The initial flash is expected to be a bluish-white color, and it will rapidly reach its peak brightness. The brightness will remain steady at its peak intensity for a few months. It will be bright white or yellowish white during this phase. Then, it will slowly dim over a period of a year or more and turn increasingly yellow. Eventually, it will become orange, then red.

It is expected to be bright enough to be seen during the day for months and may even be visible by day for up to a year. If it reaches its maximum predicted brightness, it would even be capable of casting shadows in shaded areas during the day.