Betelgeuse, the Super Red Giant, whose transformation into a Supernova is only a matter of time, is so big that we can say that such massive stars are rare even in the Milky Way. Betelgeuse is so big that 600 times the diameter of the Sun, is one of the brightest stars in the sky, despite being 642 light years from Earth and this means it is really far away. The Super Red Giant is also 10 times larger in diameter than even the Earth’s closest Red Giant with 88 light years, the Gamma Crucis.
Life Span of Betelgeuse
Although Betelgeuse is in the very final stages of its life, it is only 10 million years old, and that means it is 450 times younger than the Sun. However, since its mass is 11 times of the Sun, this supreme giant star has consumed nuclear fusion fuel very quickly and has reached the last stage of its life.
Unlike most other Red Giants, because of its massive mass, it earns the title of being an Upper Giant, and unlike other Red Giants, its core has no intention of transforming into a White Dwarf with a silent death!
Betelgeuse Is Turning Into Supernova
It’s only a matter of time before Betelgeuse turns into a Supernova. Its luminosity is diminishing and its outer atmosphere, with a diameter of 1.2 billion kilometers, is so large that its 10 solar mass core is about to succumb to its own gravitational force. Because the outward thermal pressure is now less than the inward pressure of the gravitational force, and the hydrostatic balance of Betelgeuse is being disrupted, the core will collapse into itself and transform into a Supernova, that is, it explodes with the largest explosion force of the universe, spreading its outer layers into space, its core will be collapsing into itself.
What Happens after Betelgeuse Turns Into Supernova
There are two options as a result when a star transforms into a Supernova. With the collapse of the nucleus, either a singularity, in other words the Black Hole will form, or our galaxy will witness the birth of a new Pulsar, a Neutron Star!
