Astronomy Picture of the Day . The Spotty Surface of Betelgeuse . ... Explanation: Betelgeuse really is a big star. ... But like all stars except the Sun, Betelgeuse is so distant it usually appears as a single point of light, even in large telescopes. Still, astronomers using interferometry at infrared wavelengths can resolve the surface of Betelgeuse and reconstructed this image of the red supergiant . ... January . ... January 2010 . ... NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers . ...