archive / atlas record
Betelgeuse
A vast evolved star approaching the end of its life.
- classification
- Red supergiant
- system
- Orion region, Milky Way
Betelgeuse is a variable red supergiant. Its distance, size and surface behaviour remain active subjects of measurement and modelling.
- Class
- Red supergiant
- Location / system
- Orion region, Milky Way
- Distance
- Hundreds of light-years; estimates vary
Only values with an established scientific consensus are listed. Where a quantity is uncertain or model-dependent, it is discussed in the sections below rather than stated as data.
Overview (starter entry, expanded review pending)
Betelgeuse is a variable red supergiant. Its distance, size and surface behaviour remain active subjects of measurement and modelling.
Spectroscopy, parallax and photometry
Betelgeuse's spectrum constrains temperature and composition, parallax constrains distance, and changes in brightness or motion reveal variability, companions and evolutionary state.
- What remains least constrained about Betelgeuse?Composition, internal structure, formation history or local environment can require different observations and may remain model-dependent.
Items above are unresolved. Hypotheses are labelled as such and are not presented as confirmed findings.
CDS Strasbourg // verified 28 September 2026