天文学家利用欧洲南方天文台的甚大望远镜，首次清晰直接成像拍摄到参宿四的伴星，终结了约100年的搜索历程1。由法国天文学家Miguel Montargès领导的研究团队在2024年12月进行了观测，当时伴星与参宿四的视角分离达到最大1。Montargès在看到处理后的图像时表示："我从椅子上跳了起来"1，他还表示这是"长达一个世纪的探索的结论"1。
这颗被命名为参宿四B的伴星质量约为太阳的2至3倍，远超此前预估的太阳质量水平1。这一发现可能有助于解释参宿四长期以来的亮度变化及其未来超新星爆发的影响1。参宿四约100年前首次被怀疑拥有伴星，当时科学家将其作为解释其亮度波动的假说1。2024年发表的两项研究预测了伴星应该出现的位置和时间，为这次直接成像观测奠定了基础1。
Montargès指出仍需进行后续观测以确认发现的可靠性，表示"为了确定伴星确实存在，我们仍需要在一年后观测它在星体另一侧的位置"1。该研究已发表在《Astronomy & Astrophysics》期刊上1。
Astronomers have captured the first clear direct images of a companion star orbiting Betelgeuse, concluding a roughly 100-year quest to confirm its existence.1 The observations, conducted in December 2024 using the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope and its SPHERE instrument in Chile's Atacama Desert, revealed that Betelgeuse B possesses a mass of approximately 2 to 3 times that of our Sun—substantially greater than previous theoretical estimates of one solar mass.1
The discovery was led by French astronomer Miguel Montargès and his team, with findings published in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics.1 Montargès recalled his reaction upon analyzing the processed images, stating: "I jumped from my chair when I saw the processed images," and characterized the achievement as "the conclusion of a century-long quest."1 The timing of the observation proved crucial, as December 2024 marked when the companion star's angular separation from Betelgeuse was at its maximum, enabling direct detection.1 Two studies published in 2024 had predicted both the location and timing where the companion should appear, guiding the observational strategy.1
The newly confirmed companion may help explain Betelgeuse's dramatic brightness variations and could provide insights into the nature of the red supergiant's eventual supernova explosion.1 However, Montargès emphasized the need for continued verification: "To be certain that the companion is really there, we still need to observe it in one year on the other side of the star."1
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