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View Nova Explosion, 'New' Star in Northern Crown

A star system, located 3,000 light-years away from Earth, is
predicted to become visible to the unaided eye soon. This could be a
once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity as the nova ouburst only
occurs about every 80 years. T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, last
exploded in 1946 and astronomers believe it will do so again between
February and September 2024.

[NovaCygni_ArtistConcept_watermarked]A red giant star and white dwarf
orbit each other in this animation of a nova. The red giant is a
large sphere in shades of red, orange, and white, with the side
facing the white dwarf the lightest shades. The white dwarf is hidden
in a bright glow of white and yellows, which represent an accretion
disk around the star. A stream of material, shown as a diffuse cloud
of red, flows from the red giant to the white dwarf. The animation
opens with the red giant on the right side of the screen, co-orbiting
the white dwarf. When the red giant moves behind the white dwarf, a
nova explosion on the white dwarf ignites, filling the screen with
white light. After the light fades, a ball of ejected nova material
is shown in pale orange. A small white spot remains after the fog of
material clears, indicating that the white dwarf has survived the
explosion.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

The star system, normally magnitude +10, which is far too dim to see
with the unaided eye, will jump to magnitude +2 during the event.
This will be of similar brightness to the North Star, Polaris.

Once its brightness peaks, it should be visible to the unaided eye
for several days and just over a week with binoculars before it dims
again, possibly for another 80 years.

As we wait for the nova, become familiar with the constellation
Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown -- a small, semicircular arc
near Bootes and Hercules. This is where the outburst will appear as a
"new" bright star.

[FindHercules_NSN896]A conceptual image of how to find Hercules and
his mighty globular clusters in the sky created using a planetarium
software. Look up after sunset during summer months to find Hercules!
Scan between Vega and Arcturus, near the distinct pattern of Corona
Borealis. Once you find its stars, use binoculars or a telescope to
hunt down the globular clusters M13 and M92. If you enjoy your views
of these globular clusters, you're in luck - look for another great
globular, M3, in the nearby constellation of Bootes.
Credit: NASA

This recurring nova is only one of five in our galaxy. This happens
because T CrB is a binary system with a white dwarf and red giant.
The stars are close enough that as the red giant becomes unstable
from its increasing temperature and pressure and begins ejecting its
outer layers, the white dwarf collects that matter onto its surface.
The shallow dense atmosphere of the white dwarf eventually heats
enough to cause a runaway thermonuclear reaction - which produces the
nova we see from Earth.

Follow @NASAUniverse for updates about the outburst.

By Lauren Perkins
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

[878b0]Author Beth RidgewayPosted on February 27, 2024Categories 
Uncategorized

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