Astronomers from Carnegie Mellon University have confirmed that Betelgeuse, the well-known red supergiant star in Orion, has a hidden companion star named 'Betelbuddy,' discovered during a critical observational window in December 2024.

X-ray observations using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory revealed no evidence of accretion or dense objects like neutron stars or white dwarfs, suggesting that Betelbuddy is likely a young, Sun-sized stellar object rather than a dense remnant.

The team secured Director's Discretionary Time on the Hubble Space Telescope and Chandra X-ray Observatory for these observations, which are typically reserved for exceptional research, highlighting the importance of this discovery.

Betelgeuse's companion has a mass roughly one solar mass, significantly less than Betelgeuse's 16 or 17 solar masses, challenging traditional models of binary star formation and suggesting the existence of extreme mass ratio binaries.

The discovery was made possible through spontaneous discussions at Carnegie Mellon, illustrating how casual conversations can lead to significant scientific breakthroughs.

Findings support the idea that Betelgeuse's companion influences its brightness cycle by clearing away dust, which helps explain its six-year pattern of brightening and dimming.

Detecting Betelgeuse's companion was highly challenging due to its extreme brightness difference and proximity, as Betelgeuse is about 700 times larger than the Sun and thousands of times brighter.