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Astronomers Capture Clearest Image Yet of Betelgeuse’s Likely Companion

Advanced VLT/SPHERE imaging and months of processing reveal a 2.6–3.1 solar‑mass star near Betelgeuse, prompting planned follow‑up to confirm orbital motion.

A handout combination of images, obtained using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope (VLT), shows the clearest image ever of what likely is Betelgeuse B, a star orbiting Betelgeuse. The image in the middle inset was taken in January 2019 with the SPHERE instrument at the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope, and shows Betelgeuse itself. The image in the inset on the left was taken in December 2024, when the companion was predicted to be furthest apart from Betelgeuse as seen from Earth. In this inset Betelgeuse has been removed, revealing a source (marked with a crosshair) consistent with being the companion. The image was released on July 28, 2026. ESO/M. Montargès et al. Background: N. Rissinger/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
A handout image of the star Betelgeuse, a color composite made from exposures from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2). The image was released on July 28, 2026. ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY
This VLT/SPHERE image shows the clearest image ever of what likely is Betelgeuse B. Image credit: ESO / Montargès et al.

Overview

  • The European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope team used the SPHERE‑ZIMPOL imager and processed data taken on December 3 and 6, 2024 to produce the clearest direct image reported on July 28, 2026.
  • The faint source lies about 52 milliarcseconds from Betelgeuse, a projected distance near 8.8 AU, and fits earlier models that predict a roughly 5.5–6 year orbital period.
  • Researchers estimate the companion’s mass at about 2.6 to 3.1 times the Sun’s mass and find its brightness and lack of strong high‑energy emission are consistent with a young main‑sequence star.
  • The team stresses that confirming the binary will require seeing the object on the opposite side of Betelgeuse to demonstrate orbital motion, a follow‑up slated for the coming year(s).
  • The detection used exoplanet imaging techniques to pierce Betelgeuse’s glare and resolves a century‑old hypothesis, opening work on how a companion could change the supergiant’s late‑stage evolution and eventual supernova.