A visible supernova is expected to grace the night sky this year with a “new star” rapidly becoming as bright as Polaris, offering a once-in-a-lifetime stargazing opportunity.
A Once-in-a-Lifetime Viewing Opportunity
A visible supernova is anticipated to embellish the night sky this year, providing a rare chance to witness an extraordinary celestial event.
The star system presenting this opportunity is known as T Coronae Borealis (T CrB). It is located approximately 3,000 light-years away from Earth and consists of a red giant star and a white dwarf orbiting each other. The white dwarf will ignite a brief nuclear fusion reaction on its surface, resulting in a phenomenon known as a supernova explosion.
Illustration of a binary star system similar to T Coronae Borealis, also known as Blaze Star. (Image: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center)
The explosion will be visible in the constellation Corona Borealis (Northern Crown), forming a crescent shape of stars. NASA officials state that the explosion is expected to occur between February and September this year, appearing as bright as Polaris in our night sky for no more than a week before fading away.
The Blaze Star can be located within the constellation Corona Borealis, situated between the constellations Boötes and Hercules. The easiest way to find Corona Borealis is to first identify some of the brightest stars in the summer night sky.
On any clear night, look for the Big Dipper in the northern sky. Draw an arc from the stars of the Big Dipper to Arcturus, a bright red star just above the eastern horizon. This is the famous star in “arc to Arcturus.”
You may not be able to see the Blaze Star yet, but it will be clearly visible before the summer ends.
On June 24, an asteroid named Pallas will appear near the position of the Blaze Star in the sky. (In reality, they are thousands of light-years apart). Astronomers will broadcast the flyby of this asteroid starting at 4 PM ET on June 24, pinpointing the location of the Blaze Star during this event.
Nasa officials stated: “This could be a once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity as nova explosions occur approximately every 80 years.”
The last explosion occurred in 1946, marking only one of five explosions observed in the Milky Way. To witness this explosion, viewers should direct their gaze toward Corona Borealis, situated between the constellations Boötes and Hercules. The explosion will manifest as a “new” bright star in the night sky.
Generally, these binary stars have a magnitude of +10, too faint to be seen with the naked eye. However, during the explosion, the star system will reach a magnitude of +2, equivalent to the brightness of Polaris.
Nasa officials remarked: “When its brightness peaks, it will be visible to the naked eye for several days and just over a week with binoculars before it fades again, possibly for another 80 years.”
This cycle will continue as the supernova fades, and the white dwarf gathers enough material to create another explosion.
