Betelgeuse vs Rigel
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| Property | Betelgeuse | Rigel |
|---|---|---|
| Designation | 58Alp Ori | 19Bet Ori |
| Constellation | Orion | Orion |
| Spectral Class | Class M — M-type (Red) | Class B — B-type (Blue-White) |
| Apparent Magnitude | +0.45 | +0.18 |
| Absolute Magnitude | -5.47 | -6.93 |
| Distance | 498 ly | 863 ly |
| Mass | N/A | N/A |
| Radius | N/A | N/A |
| Temperature | N/A | N/A |
| Luminosity | N/A | N/A |
Key Differences
- ◆ Rigel is a blue supergiant (spectral type B); Betelgeuse is a red supergiant (spectral type M).
- ◆ Rigel's surface temperature is ~12,100 K — more than three times hotter than Betelgeuse at ~3,600 K.
- ◆ Betelgeuse has a far larger radius (~887 R☉) than Rigel (~79 R☉).
- ◆ Both are in Orion and both are supernova candidates — among the most massive naked-eye stars.
- ◆ Rigel is slightly more intrinsically luminous at ~120,000 L☉ versus Betelgeuse's ~126,000 L☉.