A star called T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), located in the constellation Corona Borealis, is expected to undergo a rare and spectacular nova explosion soon.
The white dwarf pulls hydrogen from the red giant and when enough hydrogen accumulates, it will cause a thermonuclear explosion.
To find the explosion, draw an imaginary line between the two brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere, Arcturus and Vega, which will lead you to Corona Borealis, where the T CrB nova explosion is to take place.
Watch | Study: Secret aliens could be here on Earth already × “It’ll fuel the next generation of scientists.” This nova explosion is not just a spectacle but it is a valuable scientific opportunity.
Astronomers around the world will use a variety of telescopes and instruments, including NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, to study this event.
A star called T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), located in the constellation Corona Borealis, is expected to undergo a rare and spectacular nova explosion soon. This star system consists of two stars - a white dwarf and a red giant.
The white dwarf pulls hydrogen from the red giant and when enough hydrogen accumulates, it will cause a thermonuclear explosion. T CrB has had such explosions before, nearly every 80 years, with the last one occurring in 1946.
Based on current observations, another explosion is expected around September 2024.
Dr Koji Mukai, an astrophysics researcher at NASA Goddard, reportedly mentioned, “Recurrent novae are unpredictable and contrarian."
“When you think there can’t possibly be a reason they follow a certain set pattern, they do - and as soon as you start to rely on them repeating the same pattern, they deviate from it completely. We’ll see how T CrB behaves.”
When T CrB erupts, it will shine brightly enough to be seen with the naked eye for several days.
To find the explosion, draw an imaginary line between the two brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere, Arcturus and Vega, which will lead you to Corona Borealis, where the T CrB nova explosion is to take place.
Dr Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create a lot of new astronomers out there, giving young people a cosmic event they can observe for themselves, ask their own questions, and collect their own data."
Watch | Study: Secret aliens could be here on Earth already × “It’ll fuel the next generation of scientists.” This nova explosion is not just a spectacle but it is a valuable scientific opportunity.
Astronomers around the world will use a variety of telescopes and instruments, including NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope, to study this event. These observations will help scientists understand the structure, energy output and evolution of novae and the life cycles of binary star systems.
(With inputs from agencies)
