It is suggested that they have discovered the cause of the brightness changes of the star Betelgeuse

The red supergiant star Betelgeuse has long received the attention of astronomers. In fact, it is the 10th brightest star, and its brightness changes periodically. Astronomers did not know why these brightness changes occurred, but according to an ancient hypothesis, it was very likely that another small star in the vicinity would be affected by its orbit. The fact is that even if this star existed, the great splendor of Betelgeuse did not allow them to distinguish it. Now, in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, it is announced that they have managed to observe this little star.

They recognize that they need more observations to fully confirm it, but they anticipate that the image they have obtained is consistent with this hypothesis. The image was obtained using one of the largest telescopes in the world, the Gemini North, and a special image processing system, the Alopeke.

Through this, they have been able to directly observe the close companion of Betelgeuse. Now they have to wait until 2027 to see it again, then it will be visible again.