2024年12月，由法国天文学家米格尔·蒙塔热斯（Miguel Montargès）领导的研究团队，利用欧洲南方天文台（ESO）位于智利阿塔卡马沙漠的甚大望远镜（VLT）及SPHERE仪器，拍摄到了参宿四（Betelgeuse）疑似伴星Betelgeuse B的最清晰图像 1。这一发现为这场持续约100年的搜寻提供了迄今最强的证据 1。
相关研究论文《VLT/SPHERE images the candidate companion of Betelgeuse》（DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202661023）已发表于《Astronomy & Astrophysics》期刊（2026; 711: L12） 1。蒙塔热斯在谈及处理后的图像时表示：“当我看到处理后的图像时，我从椅子上跳了起来”，并指出：“我们已经证明参宿四不是单星，它有一颗微弱的恒星伴星相伴” 1。数据显示，该伴星质量约为太阳的2至3倍，比此前预期更大更亮，这可能有助于解释参宿四的亮度变化并影响其未来的超新星演化 1。为了进一步确认伴星的存在及其轨道位置，研究团队计划一年后在恒星的另一侧再次进行观测 1。
A team of astronomers led by French astronomer Miguel Montargès has captured the clearest image to date of Betelgeuse B, a suspected companion star to Betelgeuse 1. The observations were conducted in December 2024 in the Atacama Desert in Chile using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) and the SPHERE instrument operated by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) 1. This discovery provides the strongest evidence yet in a search that has lasted for approximately 100 years 1. Reacting to the breakthrough, Montargès stated, "I jumped from my chair when I saw the processed images" 1. He further emphasized the significance of the finding, noting, "We have shown that Betelgeuse is not single, it is accompanied by a faint stellar companion" 1.
The newly identified companion, Betelgeuse B, has a mass approximately two to three times that of the Sun, making it larger and brighter than previously expected 1. This discovery could help explain the brightness variations of Betelgeuse and potentially influence its future supernova evolution 1. To confirm the companion's orbital position and existence, the research team plans to conduct another observation a year later on the opposite side of the star 1. The findings have been published in a paper titled "VLT/SPHERE images the candidate companion of Betelgeuse" in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics (2026; 711: L12, DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361/202661023) 1.
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