Gemini North telescope, Maunakea

Assembled from 13 blocks · 1 evidence · 3 related

1. Story
2. An 8.1-metre optical and infrared telescope near the summit of Maunakea at about 4,213 m elevation, one half of the International Gemini Observatory. Observations with its speckle imager 'Alopeke in 2020 and 2024 produced the probable direct detection of Betelgeuse's long-suspected stellar companion, reported in 2025. Speckle imaging takes very short exposures to freeze atmospheric distortion, which is what allows a companion six magnitudes fainter than a first-magnitude supergiant to be separated from it. The 2020 observation, taken during the Great Dimming, showed nothing - as predicted, because the companion was then behind the star - and the 2024 observation found it at the predicted separation and position angle, which is what makes the detection persuasive rather than merely suggestive.
3. Knowledge
4. Gemini North telescope, Maunakea
5. A close companion to Betelgeuse is probably detected
6. Connections
7. A close companion to Betelgeuse is probably detected
8. A close companion to Betelgeuse is probably detected
9. Gemini North telescope, Maunakea
10. Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis)
11. Gemini North telescope, Maunakea
12. Evidence
13. Reports speckle-imaging observations with 'Alopeke on Gemini North in 2020 and 2024 yielding a probable detection of a companion of roughly 1.5 solar masses at the predicted separation and position angle. Title, DOI and arXiv identifier come from publisher and preprint listings via search; neither the paper nor the NOIRLab release could be fetched (both domains blocked). The word "probable" is the authors' own and is retained here.