JR Pottery Photo Gallery

Gallery: Betelgeuse

This is my homage to Betelgeuse, one of the nearest "Red Giant" stars to our planet. It's a bit more than 400 light-years away. It is the bright red "shoulder" in the constellation Orion. Red Giants are stars that have burned most of their nuclear fuel, turning it to helium. The helium shrouds the dying star in its middle; it is held near equilibrium by the opposing gravitational attraction and the outward force exerted by the nuclear reaction of the dying star...until the star runs low on fuel. Then gravity takes over, and as the helium becomes more dense, gravity's influence becomes exponentially stronger. Very quickly, the helium becomes unstable, and a Supernova occurs.

Homage to Betelgeuse (sold)