Related papers: Betelgeuse: a Review
We have analyzed Chandra calibration observations of Betelgeuse (alpha Ori, M2Iab, m_V=0.58, 131 pc) obtained at the aimpoint locations of the HRC-I (8 ks), HRC-S (8 ks), and ACIS-I (5 ks). Betelgeuse is undetected in all the individual…
Betelgeuse is an important variable star with many observations in the AAVSO database, but there is an annual gap of about four months where Betelgeuse is close to the sun and not observable at night. This gap could be filled with daylight…
A spectroscopic orbit has been recently found by R. Griffin for the long known barium star 56 Peg, which is also a strong X-ray source. This short-period, low mass-function orbit raises several questions regarding the history of the system.…
In 2019 October Betelgeuse began a decline in V-band brightness that went beyond the minimum expected from its quasi-periodic ~420 day cycle, becoming the faintest in recorded photometric history. Observations obtained in 2019 December with…
We show how the recent discovery of a likely close white dwarf companion to the well known star Regulus, one of the brightest stars in the sky, leads to considerable insight into the prior evolutionary history of this star, including the…
Recently, a widely publicized claim has been made that the Aboriginal Australians discovered the variability of the red star Betelgeuse in the modern Orion, plus the variability of two other prominent red stars: Aldebaran and Antares. This…
The $\sim$$2100$d Long Secondary Period of Betelgeuse's optical lightcurve and radial velocity motivated the prediction of a low-mass stellar companion, expected to be at maximal apparent separation from Betelgeuse around December 2024. We…
Recently, two independent analyses have asserted that the cause of the Long Secondary Period (LSP) observed in the variability spectrum of our nearest red supergiant, Betelgeuse ($\alpha$ Ori), is an as-yet undetected, low-mass binary…
Convection, pulsation and magnetic fields have all been suggested as mechanisms for the transport of mass and energy from the optical photosphere of red supergiants, out to the region where the stellar wind is launched. We imaged the red…
Hot Jupiters are gas giant planets with orbital periods of a few days and are found in 0.1-1% of Sun-like stars. They are expected to be engulfed during their host star's radial expansion on the red giant branch, which may account for…
This study delves into [W60] B90, one of the most luminous and extreme Red Supergiants (RSGs) in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), aiming to search for evidence of episodic mass loss. Our discovery of a bar-like nebular structure at 1 pc,…
(Abridged) The solar system gas giant planets are oblate due to their rapid rotation. A measurement of the planet's projected oblateness would constrain the planet's rotational period. Planets that are synchronously rotating with their…
Rapidly rotating giant stars are relatively rare and may represent important stages of stellar evolution, resulting from stellar coalescence of close binary systems or accretion of sub-stellar companions by their hosting stars. In the…
We explore the question of whether the interior state of massive red supergiant supernova progenitors can be effectively probed with asteroseismology. We have computed a suite of ten models with ZAMS masses from 15 to 25 m_sun in intervals…
We use the Very Large Array (VLA) in the A configuration with the Pie Town (PT) Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) antenna to spatially resolve the extended atmosphere of Betelgeuse over multiple epochs at 0.7, 1.3, 2.0, 3.5, and 6.1 cm. The…
We present a high-resolution spectral analysis of Betelgeuse (M2 Iab). Between 1998 January and 1999 March four spatially resolved raster scans (http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/ep/pressrel/alobel0100.html) have been obtained with the STIS on…
The blue supergiant (BSG) problem, namely, the overabundance of BSGs inconsistent with classical stellar evolution theory, remains an open question in stellar astrophysics. Several theoretical explanations have been proposed, which may be…
About one-quarter of the extrasolar giant planets discovered so far have orbital distances smaller than 0.1 AU. These ``51Peg b-like'' planets can now be directly characterized, as shown by the planet transiting in front the star HD209458.…
Despite major progress in our understanding of massive stars, concerning discrepancies still remain between observations and theory. Most notable are the numerous stars observed beyond the theoretical main sequence, an evolutionary phase…
After the initial fast spiral-in phase experienced by a common-envelope binary, the system may enter a slow, self-regulated phase, possibly lasting 100s of years, in which all the energy released by orbital decay can be efficiently…