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A so-called nova explosion will soon be visible from Earth. The event only occurs every 80 years or so.
“T Coronae Borealis,” or “T CrB,” is a star about 2,700 light-years from Earth. It usually has a magnitude of 10 brightness—too faint to recognise with the naked eye. However, according to NASA, this is set to change in the coming days.
The US space agency expects the star to erupt by September this year – a so-called nova explosion occurring approximately every 80 years: “This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for observation”.
T CrB” will be visible from Earth for just over a week, either with binoculars or the naked eye. The star should reach the brightness of the polar star. After that, it will become dimmer again.
“T Coronae Borealis” is a binary star system with a white dwarf and a red giant. According to NASA, the red giant becomes unstable due to rising temperatures and high pressure and begins to shed its outer layers. The white dwarf sucks in this material and collects it on its surface.
The atmosphere of the white dwarf then heats up to such an extent that thermonuclear self-ignition occurs. The star becomes significantly brighter and appears from Earth as a “new star”—a nova (Latin for “new”).
The last time the star “T CrB” erupted was in 1946. The previous eruption was observed in 1866.
- source: heute.at/picture: Bild von WikiImages auf Pixabay
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