The bubbling surface of doomed supergiant star Betelgeuse has been revealed like never before

image via Space.com

August 25, 2026, 6:00 PM

• •ALMA observed Betelgeuse in 2023 and produced high-detail images of the star's surface structure.
• •Betelgeuse lies about 600 light-years away and is about 20 times the sun's mass but expanded to roughly 800 times the sun's size.
• •The star's atmosphere was measured at about 3,680 degrees Fahrenheit (2,030 degrees Celsius), with at least two hotter regions.
• •One hotspot is about 980 degrees Fahrenheit (530 degrees Celsius) hotter than the surrounding plasma.
• •A hotspot in the northeast of the stellar disk appears to have lasted at least seven years, surprising the researchers.
• •The study has been accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics and is also available on arXiv.

Astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array to capture unusually detailed images of Betelgeuse's surface and atmosphere. The observations show bright hotspots, a corrugated-looking texture and convective plasma motion driving shockwaves in the red supergiant's atmosphere. Researchers found one northeastern hotspot appears to have persisted from 2015 to 2023, longer than current stellar models predicted. The team says the hotspot pattern may also support the idea that Betelgeuse has a companion star, and they plan to keep monitoring it as it evolves toward an eventual supernova.

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