A nova explosion in the constellation Corona Borealis is predicted to be visible from Earth this summer, which has astronomers from all around the world, including NASA, excitedly anticipating this uncommon celestial occurrence, Phys.org reported.
Stargazers have been interested in this occurrence involving the "Blaze Star," or T Coronae Borealis (T CrB).
T Coronae Borealis is a binary star system in the constellation Corona Borealis, also called the Northern Crown, that is located around 3,000 light-years from Earth, according to Nasa.
This system consists of a red giant star, an Earth-sized stellar remnant with a mass comparable to the sun, and a white dwarf.
The red giant has pressure and heat buildup on its surface as a result of the white dwarf sucking hydrogen from it. This accumulation ultimately results in a thermonuclear explosion that produces a nova.
Dr Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist at Nasa, explains that unlike a supernova, which destroys the star, a nova just expels the accumulated material, leaving the white dwarf intact and free to resume the cycle.
The first known nova event of T CrB occurred in 1217, when the German abbot Burchard of Ursberg noticed a faint star that became abruptly bright. The most recent documented eruption was in 1946.
Scientists predict that the next explosion could occur by September 2024, based on historical trends and new findings that are similar to those made prior to the events of 1946.
Scientists think that ice giant's weakness of belts is connected to its magnetic field
European space officials declare Ariane 6 maiden trip a success despite encountering a glitch
WhatsApp's new feature has already started rolling out globally and will be available to all users in coming weeks
Black hole has mass equivalent to two billion suns, feeds on surrounding matter
Platform also deletes over 20 million accounts suspected of belonging to individuals under the age of 13
Millisecond pulsar spins hundreds of times per second, is first of its kind found in Glimpse-C01 star cluster