Astronomers have captured the clearest image yet of Betelgeuse B, the long-suspected companion star orbiting Betelgeuse, the bright red supergiant in the constellation Orion — providing the strongest evidence to date that the famous star is not alone.
Using the SPHERE instrument on the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile, a team led by Miguel Montargès of the Paris Observatory directly imaged the companion, meaning light from the star itself was detected rather than inferred from its gravitational effects.
The discovery helps explain a long-standing puzzle: Betelgeuse's mysterious 'Great Dimming' of 2019-2020, when the star dimmed dramatically and then recovered, had sparked speculation about a possible imminent supernova. The presence of a companion star offers an alternative explanation for some of the star's unusual behavior.
"This is the first direct image of Betelgeuse B," said the researchers. "The companion star has been suspected for decades based on subtle variations in Betelgeuse's brightness and motion, but this is the first time we have actually seen it."
Betelgeuse, a red supergiant about 700 light-years away, is one of the most studied stars in the sky, partly because it is expected to eventually explode as a supernova. The new observations, published on July 28, 2026, refine our understanding of the star system and its evolution.
The findings were announced jointly by the Paris Observatory and ESO, with the image released on July 28, 2026.
