The bright cool supergiant star Betelgeuse
became historically faint in early February 2020. Various
explanations have been offered for its unusual behavior -
including conjectures this foreshadowed an imminent supernova
event. Many telescopes on the ground and in space quickly
focused on the star. Even solar and environmental satellites
joined in. Direct imaging, spatially resolved spectroscopy,
polarization measures, infrared, optical and ultraviolet
spectra and more help us to unravel what happened to
Betelgeuse. The current state of the star as well as new
results from continuing spectroscopic observations with the
Hubble Space Telescope will be reported in advance of the next
optical minimum expected this spring.
About the Speaker:
Andrea Dupree is an astrophysicist and
currently the Head of the Solar, Stellar, Planetary Sciences
Division at the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and
Smithsonian in Cambridge, MA. The CfA is the largest research
institute for astronomy and astrophysics in the world. She
received her bachelor's degree from Wellesley College and her
Ph.D from Harvard University. She is a past-President of the
American Astronomical Society, and has held offices in the
American Association for the Advancement of Science and many
national and international committees and advisory groups. Her
research interests focus on stars and how they form and
evolve, particularly employing spectroscopic techniques for
analysis. Andrea has been studying Betelgeuse for a long time
- especially from satellites to observe the ultraviolet
radiation from the outer layers of the star - beginning with
IUE and operating out of Goddard! She led the team that
obtained the first image of a star other than the Sun -
Betelgeuse - using the Hubble Space Telescope.