WorldAstronomers directly image a companion star orbiting Betelgeuse, revealing it as a binary system 500–600 light-years awayA handout image of the star Betelgeuse, a color composite made from exposures from the Digitized Sky Survey 2 (DSS2). It has been observed for millennia, but astronomers have now nailed down a crucial detail about this star: Betelgeuse is not alone. The combination of images shows the clearest image ever of what likely is Betelgeuse B, a star orbiting Betelgeuse. Massive ⁠stars like Betelgeuse typically reside ⁠in binary systems or systems with even more other stars. We cannot be sure of anything anymore regarding this ‌star," Montargès said.