Recent studies suggest the existence of a smaller, Sun-like companion star (Betelgeuse B) that may influence its long-term brightness cycles. Life Cycle and Future

It is roughly 100,000 times brighter than the Sun but significantly cooler, with a surface temperature of approximately 3,600 Kelvin (6,020°F).

Distinctive orange-red hue, visible even without equipment. Variability and Observation

If placed at the center of our solar system, it would engulf the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, likely extending past Jupiter's orbit .

A red supergiant nearing the end of its life cycle.

In late 2019 and early 2020, it experienced a historic drop in brightness, eventually attributed to a massive surface mass ejection that cooled into an obscuring dust cloud.