Astronomers view a dimming star in the night sky as a harbinger of fireworks to come.

Betelgeuse (pronounced “beetlejuice”) reminds many of the 1989 movie Beetlejuice starring Michael Keaton as a trouble-making ghost. But for astronomers, Betelgeuse enjoys fame as the constellation Orion’s bright red “shoulder” star, located more than 600 light-years away and 12 times more massive than the sun.