Astronomy enthusiasts and stargazers are set to witness a rare celestial spectacle in the Milky Way, with the expected eruption of a “new” star bright enough to catch with the naked eye. The upcoming nova explosion, anticipated between now and September, will emanate from T Coronae Borealis, a binary star system 3,000 light-years away.
Dubbed T CrB, or more poetically the ‘Firework Star’, this system is composed of a white dwarf and a red giant. The event is the result of their celestial dance, where the white dwarf accretes matter from its expanding companion until the surface pressure and heat reach a critical point. As Bradley Schaefer, a professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University, puts it, “As matter accumulates on the surface of the white dwarf, it heats up and you get higher and higher pressure until bang — it’s a runaway reaction.”
This reaction, likened to a hydrogen bomb detonating in space, will allow the star to shine as brightly as the famed North Star, Polaris, for a week. Unlike a supernova, which is the star’s death knell, a nova does not end the life of the star system; it simply restarts the cycle.
Such an event is a rarity; T CrB’s last notable display was in 1946. Historically, these celestial phenomena have captured the human imagination, with records of T CrB’s eruptions found dating back to 1217 and 1787, witnessed by German monks and English astronomer Francis Wollaston, respectively. “These monks near Augsburg, Germany, didn’t know what it was at the time, but they highlighted the eruption as being one of the two most important events of the year,” Schaefer said. “They called it in Latin ‘signum mirabile,’ which translates to ‘wonderful omen.’ It was thought to be a good sign.”
The best views of the explosion are expected within 24 hours of its peak, when its luminosity matches that of the North Star, making it easily visible from your backyard. Even as the nova begins to fade, enthusiasts will have the chance to observe it with binoculars for about a week.
Astronomers worldwide are keeping a close watch on the T Coronae Borealis system, with exact predictions of the event’s timing remaining elusive. “It could maybe even happen tonight,” suggests Schaefer. William J. Cooke, the Meteoroid Environments Office lead at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, notes the unpredictability of novae, but adds, “T Coronae Borealis is one of 10 recurring novae in the galaxy…so some researchers are expecting it to go nova between now and September.”
T CrB resides in the constellation Corona Borealis, the Northern Crown. As a new star, it will momentarily adorn this constellation’s semicircular arc. To best prepare for this celestial event, observers are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Northern Crown’s position, nestled between Hercules and Bootes.
The forthcoming nova outburst presents a unique opportunity, as such an event only occurs approximately every 80 years. As Cooke puts it, “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. How often can people say that they’ve seen a star explode?”
Relevant articles:
– Cosmic explosion will be visible to the naked eye in a once-in-a-lifetime stargazing event
– Rare star explosion will be visible for a week, Earth.com, Sat, 23 Mar 2024 04:11:48 GMT
– View Nova Explosion, ‘New’ Star in Northern Crown – Watch the Skies, NASA Blogs, Tue, 27 Feb 2024 08:00:00 GMT
– lifetime nova explosion happening this year – Deseret News, Deseret News, Fri, 22 Mar 2024 18:49:04 GMT