Betelgeuse 2020 dimming: getting the minimum
Abstract
The historical minimum of the red supergiant Betelgeuse (alf Ori) is occurring in 2020 January-February. The predictions based on parabola fitting (with pre-minimum data) show a minimum on 28 January ±4 days, as from simple parabolic fit of V band(29+/-5 Jan) and Visual data (22+/-9 Jan). It has been a negative interference, a beat, of some major variability periods of the star, and the 425 days periodicity completes a cycle on February 29 after the previous minimum of 1st Jan 2019. After the minimum its instant has been evaluated between 7 and 13 February 2020 (Guinan, et al. 2020) These analyses are presented after an introduction to Betelgeuse Fourier analysis and AAVSO multispectral database; a brief discussion of pre-Supernova stages and free fall timescales; the future problem of Galactic Supernova classification with professional instruments, and the utility of amateurs observations (citizen science) and measurements.
- Publication:
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Gerbertvs, International Academic Publication on History of Medieval Science
- Pub Date:
- July 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020Gerb...13...39S
- Keywords:
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- Stellar Variability;
- Semi-regular Variable Star;
- Airmass correction;
- AAVSO database