Star of the Week!
Continuing this series that gives me something relatively interesting to do every week. Sorry this one is two days late.
Betelgeuse:
Constellation: ORION
Apparent Brightness: 0.45 (how bright we see it at its distance from Earth) [note: lower numbers (and numbers that go into the negatives) mean a brighter star]
Absolute Magnitude: -5.14 (comparable to Luminosity, or how much energy/light the star emits; not dependent on location of the observer)
Right Ascension (celestial equivalent of longitude): 5h55m
Declination (celestial latitude): +7 degrees
Spectral Type: M2 (red super-giant)
Distance from Earth: 427.47 Light Years
When & Where to View It: During the Fall/Winter/Spring in the Northern Hemisphere, looking toward the East. Right now, at my latitude (≈34º N) it can be seen near Jupiter, the current brightest object in the night sky. (I usually have to wait until around 11:30 or midnight to really see it). It will appear distinctly red compared to surrounding stars.
Fun(ish) Fact(s): As one of the largest known stars, its surface would extend out to the orbit of Jupiter were it placed in our solar system. Betelgeuse is one of the stars of the Winter Triangle, and it also sits in the middle of the Winter Hexagon. Its name did indeed inspire the film "Beetlejuice," but I try to pronounce it with a French accent so I don't feel like an idiot.
Sources: Stellarium program, personal knowledge.
