Every 80 years, the sky gives us a rare gift: a star explosion called a nova that outshines all other cosmic wonders. This celestial fireworks display occurs when a white dwarf star explodes, increasing its brightness by a factor of 10,000. Even with the naked eye, we can admire its splendor millions of miles away, and another good show is about to begin. NASA scientists and astronomers are waiting patiently to see it, just as we have been eager to see solar eclipses and the Northern Lights over the past few years.
In a nova event, a white dwarf star absorbs solar material from a nearby red giant star. A thermonuclear explosion occurs when the heat and pressure are too high. This makes the white dwarf appear brighter in the sky, but it does not disintegrate and once the explosion dissipates, the star returns to its original brightness. That massive eruption was a nova.
Novas can be seen with the naked eye for more than a week after they occur. During that time, a new star seemed to appear in the sky. According to NASA, the explosion could occur anytime between now and September, day or night, although scientists say it could take longer.
This video from NASA shows what it looks like.
The last star in this star system was in 1946
This cosmic light show is provided by T Coronae Borealis (also known as the Flaming Star or T CrB). It is a binary star system, consisting of a white dwarf star and an ancient red giant star, located in the northern crown of the Milky Way, about 3,000 light-years from Earth. It is part of the constellation Corona Borealis and forms a distinctive C shape in the sky mainly in summer.
White dwarfs are the remnants of dead stars that are about the same size as Earth but have the same mass as the Sun. Meanwhile, the aging red giant is a dying star that is releasing material into space. The huge gravity of the white dwarf is attracting material ejected by the red giant. Once a white dwarf accumulates enough material, the heat increases too much, causing runaway thermonuclear reactions. This explosion is called a nova.
The previous nova in this star system occurred in 1946.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create many new astronomers and provide young people with a cosmic event where they can observe for themselves, ask their own questions and collect their own data,” said Dr. Rebecca Hausser. Assistant Research Scientist at NASA’s Godard Space Flight Center. “It will power the next generation of scientists.”
Where is Corona Borealis?
You may not be as familiar with the easier-to-spot constellations like the Big Dipper, such as the Big Dipper. It’s hard to find in the night sky unless the sky is clear. Light pollution from big cities can also make searching more difficult.
NASA says the easiest way to find Corona Borealis is to look for Vega and Arcturus, the two brightest stars in the northern hemisphere. (A skywatching app on your phone might help with this.) From there, you can basically draw an imaginary line between the two. Corona Borealis is almost in the middle. You can use the image below to see what we mean.
This nova will occur in the constellation Corona Borealis near Hercules, between Vega and Arcturus.
Alternatively, you can look for the constellation Hercules, with Corona Borealis right next to it. Remember, you can’t see the star in question until the nova erupts, so if you look up at the sky before the nova erupts, you won’t see where the nova occurred.
When does Nova happen?
No one knows for sure. Astronomers and scientists just know that new stars can explode at any time. Most of them agree that Nova should happen anytime before September, although it may take longer.
Because novae can occur at any time, NASA relies on citizen astronomers and space enthusiasts to issue warnings when novae occur.
“Using social media and email,[observers will]receive immediate alerts,” said Dr. Elizabeth Hayes, director of NASA’s Goddard Astrophysics Laboratory. “We look forward to the global community engaging with T CrB again.”
Early detection could also help NASA collect more data about the event to better understand its mechanisms.
“As the visible energy of the burst fades, we will observe the peak and waning phases of nova events,” Hausser said. “But it’s just as important to get data early in the burst—so those enthusiastic citizen scientists are looking for novae now. , and the data they collect will make a huge contribution to our findings.”
Do I need a telescope to see novae?
Won’t.
However, it’s important to know what to look for. The new star won’t look like he’s going to explode like those seen in the Michael Bay movies. It looks like another star in the sky that didn’t exist before.
It will also be very bright, so it should be quite noticeable. Those with telescopes and binoculars will certainly have a better view.
What is the difference between a nova and a supernova?
Most people have heard the term “supernova.” These are the last gasps of a star in the darkness. However, the last gasp also happened to be the largest explosion ever witnessed by humans, as the star violently blasted material into space. Scientists believe that supernovae are responsible for the creation of elements heavier than iron in the universe. Strangely, even iron in the blood can be traced to supernovae or similar cosmic explosions.
Nova, on the other hand, requires two stars. One star is always a white dwarf, while the other star is usually a red giant.
There are other types of rising stars. A supernova is a star that reaches a certain size and brightness. Typically, they are 10 or more times brighter than standard supernovae. Another type is the extremely rare kilonova, which occurs when two neutron stars collide, releasing incredible gravitational waves and electromagnetic radiation.
