Famous supergiant star Betelgeuse may not be alone
Using the Very Large Telescope, astronomers have found strong evidence that Betelgeuse, the famous red supergiant star, has a close companion, now called Betelgeuse B. And it could explain why Betelgeuse’s brightness changes in a six-year cycle: that is likely caused by the companion periodically blocking some of Betelgeuse’s light. The team is awaiting a second observation to confirm the data. The study found these consequences were also most pronounced in wealthy, non-desert regions, so its authors recommended clustering large solar projects in desert areas.
It seems to be a young star around 2.6-3.1-times as heavy as our sun. By analysing data from 2,344 counties China between 2014 and 2023, researchers found policies promoting large-scale solar farms also supported ‘inferior greening’: while solar installations increased the amount of green on the ground, the new growth was often dense and lacked the variety of natural habitats that supports many bird species.
