Companion Star to Red Giant Found, Proof of Two Supernovae: Oregon Coast Astronomy

Published 08/04/25 at 7:45 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Rockaway Beach, Oregon) – Two new astronomy discoveries have scientists around the world excited, both touted by NASA. Visual proof has been found of a star that has detonated twice as a supernova - and NASA has photographed the companion to the giant star Betelgeuse. (Above: Betelgeuse, the yellow-red star, and the signature of its close companion, the faint blue object. Credit: Data: NASA/JPL/NOIRlab. Visualization: NOIRLAB)

To those with high powered telescopes on the Oregon coast or anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, you can see these stars and now know there's something new about them.

For the first time, astronomers have captured visual proof that a star ended its life in not one, but two explosive blasts. Using the European Southern Observatory’s Very Large Telescope (ESO’s VLT), they studied the remnants of supernova SNR 0509-67.5 and found patterns confirming a rare “double-detonation” event.

Most supernovae mark the death of massive stars, but Type Ia supernovae come from white dwarfs — small, dense remnants of stars like our Sun. Traditionally, scientists believed these explosions happened when a white dwarf in a binary system pulled in enough material from its companion star to reach a critical mass, triggering a single blast.

However, new evidence supports a different theory. In the double-detonation model, the white dwarf first gathers a layer of helium from its companion. This helium can ignite, causing a surface explosion that sends shockwaves inward. These shockwaves then trigger a second, more powerful explosion in the star’s core — resulting in a full supernova.

This discovery reshapes our understanding of how some of the universe’s most dramatic events unfold, offering fresh insight into the life cycles of stars and the origins of cosmic explosions.

Seeing stars of different colors above the Oregon coast. Ever wondered why that happens?

“Recently, astronomers have predicted that this process would create a distinctive pattern or fingerprint in the supernova’s still-glowing remains, visible long after the initial explosion," NASA said. "Research suggests that remnants of such a supernova would contain two separate shells of calcium."

Another NASA discovery had Oregon's Jim Todd excited. Todd, who is the astronomy expert at Portland's OMSI, passed on the documentation to Oregon Coast Beach Connection.

It seems the 10th brightest star in our night sky - Betelgeuse – has a companion star. It also could explain why similar red supergiants show brightness changes over many years.

Betelgeuse is the closest red supergiant star to Earth, and for a long time astronomers have noticed that its velocity changes on occasion. For over a century, astronomers suspected Betelgeuse had a nearby partner, but its intense glow made spotting a dim companion nearly impossible. Clues came from subtle shifts in the star’s brightness and movement, hinting at another object’s influence.

Recently, two studies reignited interest in the theory, analyzing over 100 years of observations. Then, using a high-resolution camera developed by NASA and the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii, researchers finally captured direct images of the elusive companion.

The faint star was found exactly where predicted — orbiting near the outer edge of Betelgeuse. The discovery was led by Steve Howell, a senior scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center. His team named the companion “Siwarha,” which means “her bracelet.”

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