This week, we are joined by Dr. Andrea Dupree, senior astrophysicist with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. She recently carried out a study showing why the red supergiant star Betelgeuse recently dimmed, a sight seen by millions of amateur astronomers worldwide.
We also look at how the development of life on Earth may have been shaped by a nearby supernova explosion, and we take a look at a new study suggesting the Sun may have once had a stellar companion, with whom it was born billions of years ago. Meanwhile, NASA charges batteries on the first helicopter ever headed to another planet.
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Why Did Betelgeuse Dim? Andrea Dupree Center for Astrophysics - Astronomy News w/ The Cosmic Companion 08/25/20