stylistic:style_transfer, information:classification
Mass

Betelgeuse has no known orbital companions, so its mass cannot be calculated by that direct method. Modern mass estimates from theoretical modelling have produced values of 9.5–21 M, with values of 5 M – 30 M from older studies. It has been calculated that Betelgeuse began its life as a star of 15–20 M, based on a solar luminosity of 90,000–150,000. A novel method of determining the supergiant's mass was proposed in 2011, arguing for a current stellar mass of 11.6 M with an upper limit of 16.6 and lower of 7.7 M, based on observations of the star's intensity profile from narrow H-band interferometry and using a photospheric measurement of roughly 4.3 AU or 955 ± 217 R. A probablystic age prior analysis give a current mass of 16.5–19 M and an initial mass of 18–21 M.

Betelgeuse's mass can also be estimated based on its position on the color ‑ magnitude ‑ diagram (CMD). Betelgeuse's color may have changed from yellow (or possibly orange; i.e. a yellow supergiant) to red in the last few thousand years, based on a 2022 review of historical records. This color change combined with the CMD suggest a mass of 14 M and age of 14 Myr, and a distance from 125 to 150 parsecs (~400 to 500 light years).