Astronomers Capture First Image of Betelgeuse's Companion After a Century

On July 31, 2026, astronomers announced they have obtained the first image of the companion star orbiting Betelgeuse, the bright red supergiant in the Orion constellation. Betelgeuse, approximately 400 to 550 light-years away, is about 14 times the mass of the Sun and is estimated to be no older than 10 million years. Its rapid evolution from protostar to red giant makes it a candidate for a supernova event within the next 100,000 years. The discovery of its companion star marks a significant milestone in stellar astronomy, concluding nearly a century of efforts to directly observe this elusive object.