Between November 2019 and March 2020, the star Betelgeuse – the second closest red supergiant to Earth, and a star that’s slowly pulsing towards the end of its lifespan – dimmed visibly, sparking global speculation about the cause.
For many in the astronomical community, it was thought at first that Betelgeuse might be about to supernova – a highly anticipated stellar explosion in which a red giant’s core collapses inwards, before exploding outwards, ejecting elements and debris into space. These supernovae only occur at the deaths of the largest stars in the Universe. When no such explosion was subsequently detected, scientists set out to understand why.
Full article at: https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/astrophysics/did-betelgeuse-supernova-or-was-it-just-a-dusty-fart/