The inhabitants of the Earth will soon be able to see a rare astronomical event – a star explosion visible to the naked eye. It was reported Web site American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO).
According to expert calculations, the star T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) in the constellation Northern Crown will shine brightly in the night sky in the coming months.
T CrB is a binary star system located 3,000 light years from Earth. It consists of a white dwarf and a red giant. This system is called a recurring nova, meaning it explodes regularly. Novas differ from supernovas in their periodicity, because when a star goes supernova, it ceases to exist.
Observations show that T CrB erupts every 79-80 years. The last outbreak occurred in 1946.
In March 2023, AAVSO observers noticed a difference in the brightness of T CrB, called a “preflare dip,” indicating that a new outburst was imminent.
Once T CrB goes nova, it should appear as an extremely bright star in the night sky, and you should be able to observe this brightness for about a week.
To see the rare event, you need to find the constellation Corona Borealis in the sky, which looks like a small horseshoe between the constellations Hercules and Bootes.
Earlier scientists I learnedand the cause of thermonuclear explosions of white dwarfs in binary systems.