Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star visible to sky watchers in the "shoulder" of the constellation of Orion, the Hunter. In late 2019 Betelgeuse began to undergo a surprising "dimming" event before recovering its typical brightness several months later. In this two-part podcast, hear how astronomers have been using observations at radio wavelengths, combined with data from other telescopes, to uncover the cause of this historic dimming event, and what it means for the future evolution of this star.
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Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star visible to sky watchers in the "shoulder" of the constellation of Orion, the Hunter. In late 2019 Betelgeuse began to undergo a surprising "dimming" event before recovering its typical brightness several months later. In this two-part podcast, hear how astronomers have been using observations at radio wavelengths, combined with data from other telescopes, to uncover the cause of this historic dimming event, and what it means for the future evolution of this star.
For roughly a century, Cepheid variable stars have been used as a yardstick for measuring the scale of the universe. Cepheids undergo steady pulsations, causing their brightness to undergo regular variations. Because the exact period of these brightness fluctuations is tightly linked with the stellar luminosity, measurement of a Cepheid's period and apparent brightness provides a direct way to gauge its distance. But are the lives of Cepheids truly as regular and predictable as they seem?
Learn in this podcast how recent radio and infrared observations have revealed that at least some Cepheids have a "dirty" secret: they are quietly spewing significant amounts of matter into space through stellar winds.
Radio Stars
Betelgeuse is a red supergiant star visible to sky watchers in the "shoulder" of the constellation of Orion, the Hunter. In late 2019 Betelgeuse began to undergo a surprising "dimming" event before recovering its typical brightness several months later. In this two-part podcast, hear how astronomers have been using observations at radio wavelengths, combined with data from other telescopes, to uncover the cause of this historic dimming event, and what it means for the future evolution of this star.
