Why the star of Orion’s left shoulder is fading

Betelgeuse is a red supergiant. With a diameter 1000 times that of the Suns and formerly 10,000 times the illuminance, it has wowed the entire Milky Way, but now its even being mentioned on the cable news shows. Why? Because everyones hoping for a catastrophe. If such a large star fades to 36 percent of its previous illuminance within a short time, it would suggest it might soon end in a supernova. That would certainly be spectacular, because it would grace the Earths night skies with the...