* Betelgeuse is a red supergiant: Red supergiants are much cooler than our Sun, with surface temperatures around 3500 K compared to the Sun's 5778 K.
* Blackbody Radiation: All objects emit electromagnetic radiation, including infrared. Cooler objects emit more radiation at longer wavelengths, including infrared.
* Size Matters: Betelgeuse is a massive star, significantly larger than the Sun. Its larger surface area means it emits more radiation overall, including in the infrared spectrum.
Therefore, even though Betelgeuse is cooler than the Sun, its larger size and cooler temperature make it a much stronger emitter of infrared radiation.
