Red Giant Betelgeuse Was Yellow Some 2,000 Years Ago – Phys.org
Betelgeuse is making headlines again, but it has little to do with the unusual dimming during 2019. In fact the high strangeness dates back millennia, according to Sebastian Hollstein, who came upon a new study in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society showing the red giant was once yellow. Funny how this is ‘new’ since Robert Cowen reported 40 years ago about Ancient China Sheds ‘Light’ On A Red Star in the Christian Science Monitor back in 1981. A point of contention twixt these articles is Claudius Ptolemy who called Betelgeuse red in 150 A.D. per Cowen’s article, while Hollstein says, “Betelgeuse at their time did not belong to the group of bright red stars like Antares.” So which is it? I’m inclined to believe Cowen since Hollstein says Antares means “like Mars” when the ancient Greek “ἈντάÏ�ης” means, “rival to Mars.” Keeping in this ruddy vein, here’s a wormhole to explore—A Physical Interpretation of the ‘Red Sirius’ Anomaly where the aforementioned Ptolemy claimed blue-white Sirius was red in his ancient skies. Note ‘his‘ since The Color of Sirius as recorded in Ancient Chinese Texts is more in-line with contemporary observations of the dog star. A couple of curious conundrums to say the least, ĉu ne? (CS)
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