Dust and a cold spell on Betelgeuse could explain why the giant star dimmed
Scientists may finally have an explanation for the star’s weird 2019 behavior
These images show Betelgeuse before and during its Great Dimming, as seen by the Very Large Telescope in Chile. From left to right, the pictures were taken in January 2019, December 2019, January 2020 and March 2020. The star grew darker over its southern hemisphere.