Some Stars Explode As They Die. We Look At Their Life Cycle
This summer, scientists have their eyes and telescopes trained on the small constellation system T Coronae Borealis. They think it will explode as part of a periodic nova \u2014 a once-in-a-lifetime event according to NASA scientists. And so, with the help of astrophysicist Sarafina El-Badry Nance, we continue our journey farther and deeper into spacetime with a look at the stars: How they're born and how they die. Sarafina has always been drawn to one particular star: Betelgeuse, a red supergiant in the shoulder of the constellation Orion that is nearing the end of its life. What stages of life did Betelgeuse \u2014 or any star \u2014 go through before it reached this moment?
This episode is part of our series Space Camp \u2014 all abut the weird, wonderful phenomena in our universe. Check it out here: https://npr.org/spacecamp
Curious about the night sky? Email us at shortwave@npr.org \u2014 we'd love to hear from you!
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