Betelgeuse, also known as Thiruvathirai natchathiram in Tamil, is a bright and easily recognizable star in the Orion constellation - which is over 20 times bigger than the sun.

Over the past 5 months, Betelgeuse has dimmed up to 36% and scientists are suggesting that the star might have entered its pre-supernova phase.

Just like humans, stars age and dies eventually. During its final stage, the stars explode and this blast is referred to as the Supernova.

It is believed that the Betelgeuse's supernova might be visible from earth and will be the brightest stellar event ever recorded in history. The scientists are still studying the drastic changes in the star to determine its life span.

But since Betelgeuse is located 700 light-years away, everything we're seeing now has happened 700 years ago.

Check out the star's before and after images here:



Source: Business Insider
Image credit: Reddit and Business Insider