Betelgeuse, the curiously dimming star, may be covered in giant star spots

Betelgeuse, the red supergiant star that acts as the shoulder of Orion in his constellation, intrigued astronomers when the normally bright star showed signs of unprecedented dimming in December. Many have suggested potential causes for this dimming, including dust or the fact that the star is likely to explode in a supernova between now and 100,000 years from now.