The Science behind the Star, the Myth, and the Legend: Betelgeuse
SkyLive.com
“Betelgeuse, […] is a variable and multiple supergiant star of spectral class M1 in the constellation of Orion. Betelgeuse visual magnitude is 0.5, […] the 10th brightest star in the sky.”
Astronomy.com
“The star pulsates in brightness not to a single regular beat, but to a range of overlapping rhythms […] one of them is directly related to the time Betelgeuse has left before it inevitably explodes.”
NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day
“Known for its red color, Betelgeuse is one of the few stars to be resolved by modern telescopes, although only barely. The featured artist's illustration imagines how Betelgeuse might look up close. […] Were it to replace the Sun (not recommended), its surface would extend out near the orbit of Jupiter, while gas plumes would bubble out past Neptune.”
Betelgeuse Imagined
Illustration Credit: ESO, L. Calcada