We think of the night sky as reliable and unchanging. The sun sets every evening revealing the same stars found in familiar patterns throughout the year. Those patterns are so predictable, in fact, that we use them to orient ourselves here on Earth.

 

This steadiness is a result of the timescales required for any particular step in the stellar evolution process. It takes millions, even billions, of years for stars to live out their lives. In our lifetimes, we see only a snapshot of their life story. From the star’s perspective, we are but a tiny blip in the timeline.

 

So when a star changes on timescales we can actually observe, this change is big news. And that's why right now, all eyes are on Betelgeuse.

https://www.antipodesmap.com/

 

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