Constellation: Orion Betelgeuse
(Bet' l 'jooz)
The first star I learned as boy. It is the 8th
brightest star in the night sky, and second to Rigel in the
constellation.
Betelgeuse, is classified as a red supergiant, type M21ab, meaning it
is one of the largest and most luminous of the observable stars, only
aboutr 640 light-years away from us. Astronomers are not sure of
Betelgeuse’s mass though. Anywhere from 5 to 30 times of
our sun, its absolute magnitude is about -6.02.
Living fast and dying young, compared to our sun, Betelgeuse is a
youngster only about 10 million years old. It had a hard youth,
having been ejected from its birthplace in near the Orion’s belt,
Betelgeuse is running away at supersonic speed, some 30 km a
second. This is fast enough to create a bow shock some 4
light-years wide.
Astronomers believe that Betelgeuse will go supernova within the next million years.
Note:
According to Bob Berman, Astronomy Magazine, Oct 17 issue, pg 10.
The spelling Bet'l'jooz, is Sumerian. They saw Betelgeuse
as "the arm-pit of the sheep", as the constellation struck them as a
sheep & not a hunter. Gotta love those Sumerians!