恒星是宇宙的基本组成单元,中小质量的恒星(如太阳)占绝大部分.中小质量的恒星演化到最后,外壳被损失掉,成为漂亮的行星状星云,而恒星的核则成为白矮星.大质量恒星演化到最后会发生超新星爆炸,产生巨大的能量,留下一个中子星或黑洞.参宿四是一颗大质量恒星,种种迹象表明,它将发生超新星爆炸,但在2012年爆炸的可能性微乎其微,天上不会出现两个"太阳",也不会对地球上人们的生活产生实质性的影响.
There are billions of stars in the universe and most of them are low-or intermediate-mass ones like our Sun.Such a star lose its envelope in its last stages of evolution,which becomes a beautiful planetary nebula,while the core evolves to a white dwarf.A massive star,on the other hand,may die by explosion,producing a vast amount of energy and leaving a neutron star or a black hole.Betelgeuse is a massive star and recent observations indicate that it may explode in the near future.However,the chances for it to explode in 2012 are negligible,so there will not be "two suns" and we will not be in any danger.