Stargazers and sky observers could already be rewarded with a breathtaking spectacle of celestial events in 2024: the total solar eclipse, the return of the “Devil’s Comet” and several nights colored by the Northern Lights were undoubtedly at the top of the list for some.
And if that’s not enough for you, space experts predict that we’re in for another star sighting: a rare nova explosion that will bring a “new star” to the night sky.
Earlier this year, NASA reported that an eruption was expected in a star system about 3,000 light-years away.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create many new astronomers. It offers young people a cosmic event that they can observe for themselves, ask their own questions and collect their own data,” said Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, a research assistant specializing in nova events at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, in a statement. “It will power the next generation of scientists.”
Here’s what you need to know.
The “rare nova explosion” of T CrB
About every 79 years, an explosive event occurs in the Northern Crown, a binary star system about 3,000 light-years from Earth. This star system is home to the nova T Coronae Borealis, also known as the Blaze Star or T CrB.
T CrB is one of 10 recurring novae scientists have found in the galaxy, Bill Cooke, director of NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, previously told Nexstar.
These novae, the plural of nova, consist of “a normal or red giant star and a white dwarf about the size of Earth,” Cooke explained. “The larger star dumps material onto the surface of its white dwarf companion; as the material accumulates, the temperature continues to rise until a thermonuclear breakthrough is initiated.”
This then leads to the outbreak of T CrB or “nova”.
What happens when T CrB explodes?
Unlike a supernova – a “final, gigantic explosion” – T CrB’s white dwarf remains intact during this nova event, Dr. Hounsell explained. Instead, it hurls the material it has accumulated into space.
The whole thing will result in a flash that is bright enough to be seen on Earth even with the naked eye. The last time we had such a chance was in 1946.
What will T CrB look like from Earth and how can I see it?
When T CrB reaches nova status, it will appear as a “new star” in the constellation Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown.
To find T CrB, you’ll need to look between the constellations Hercules and Ursa Major, which lie to the north. More specifically, according to NASA’s guide below, it will be roughly in line with Vega and Arcturus.
Cooke says T CrB will be as bright as Polaris, but only for about a week. Unless you’re in Antarctica, you should be able to catch a glimpse of it.
When will the “new star” appear?
Unlike the solar eclipse, scientists do not know exactly when this rare nova event will occur.
Over the past decade, T CrB has behaved “strikingly similarly” to the years before its 1946 eruption, NASA said earlier this month. That has led some researchers to predict the explosion will occur by September, but others warn it could take longer.
NASA and astronomers around the world have been keeping an eye on the nova. They also rely on amateur astronomers and space enthusiasts to alert them to any changes they observe.
Whenever you catch a glimpse of T CrB, remember: The explosion actually happened 3,000 years ago.