This NASA concept image shows a nova explosion. (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)
[The Epoch Times, 20 Giblean, 2024](Full report by Epoch Times reporter Li Yan) A star system 3,000 light-years away from Earth is expected to soon become a celestial body visible to the naked eye. According to NASA, this may be a once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity, as nova explosions only happen about every 80 years.
T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, erupted in 1946, and astronomers believe it will erupt again between February and September 2024.
The star system usually shines at magnitude +10, which is not visible to the naked eye, but during its activity, its brightness jumps to magnitude +2, which is similar to the brightness of Polaris .
Magnitude is a measure of the brightness of an astronomical object. The smaller the size, the brighter the star;
NASA says that while we wait for new stars to appear, get to know the constellation Corona Borealis (or Northern Crown) – a small semicircle near the constellations Bootes and Hercules. This is where the nova explosion happens.
“Unfortunately, we don’t know about solar eclipses,” Bill Cooke, director of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) at the NASA Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, told Fox News Digital.
“But when it happens, you remember it.”
Compared to the Great North American Solar Eclipse
T Coronae Borealis is nicknamed the “blaze star”. NASA says the recycling nova is one of only five in the Milky Way. This happens because T CrB is a binary system consisting of a white dwarf and a red giant star.
“A typical nova consists of a star, such as a red giant, larger than the Sun, and a white dwarf, which is about the size of Earth,” Cook said.
“The red giant is dumping material on the surface of the white dwarf. They orbit each other, very close to each other.” When enough material is dumped on the surface of the white dwarf, the temperature becomes very hot, explained Cook.
Before, he said, the star might have needed a telescope to see, but suddenly it exploded with brightness that was visible to the naked eye. This creates the new stars we see on Earth.
“What’s unusual about T Coronae Borealis is that it doesn’t just explode once,” Cook said, “It does it every nine years or so.”
It finally exploded in 1946.
Currently, T Corona Borealis has magnitude +10, which means you need a small telescope to see it.
“But when it explodes, it’s going to be magnitude +2,” Cook said.
“You can see a new star emerging there,” Cook said.
“It’s a bit like Halley’s Comet, but most people don’t know much about it,” Cook said.
Cook recommends getting out as soon as you hear news of an explosion.
“Remember, you only have a few days to see,” he said, adding that the eruption “will eventually dissipate.”
Cook said observing the Corona Borealis is similar to the Great American Solar Eclipse that occurred on April 8.
“I’ve seen several solar eclipses, and it’s one of nature’s most amazing sights,” he said, but “we don’t see stars explode very often. So that’s what makes it unique. “
Editor-in-Chief: Ye Ziwei #
