Numerical simulation of a red supergiant star

The image on the left and the movie are generated from computer simulations of a red supergiant star, similar to Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion. They show the star approximately as it might appear to the human eye with a huge imaginary telescope.

The movie covers 7.5 stellar years and the star is about 600 times as large as the Sun. "Boiling" convective motions form complex variable surface patterns with hot bright and cooler dark areas.

For more detailed information, see the red supergiant movie page.

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