News Astronomy Betelgeuse has a tiny companion star hidden in plain sight The effort to find it spans more than a century After more than a century of speculation, data seem to confirm that Betelgeuse (the brightest star in the Orion constellation, shown here) has a much smaller star as an orbital companion. James Stone/Moment/Getty Images Plus Share this:EmailFacebookTwitterPinterestPocketRedditPrint By Lisa Grossman September 30, 2024 at 11:00 am Betelgeuse, Betelgeuse! The red supergiant that marks Orion’s left shoulder may have a tiny, unseen companion.