2024-04-26 07:09:03
A so-called nova explosion will soon be visible to the naked eye in the sky. The event only occurs about once every 80 years.
“T Coronae Borealis” or “T CrB” is a binary star located approximately 2,700 light-years from Earth. It is usually not visible to the naked eye. According to NASA, this will change in the coming months. The US space agency expects the star to erupt by September this year – a so-called nova explosion, which occurs about every 80 years.
Then “T CrB” will be visible either with binoculars or even with the naked eye for a little over a week. The star is said to even reach the brightness of the Polar Star. After that, the star will darken again, “possibly for another 80 years,” writes NASA.
The last eruption was observed in 1946
The last time an eruption of the double star, which is located between the constellations Bear Keeper and Hercules in the Northern Hemisphere, was seen was in 1946. The previous eruption was observed in 1866.
“T Coronae Borealis” is a binary star system with a white dwarf and a red giant. According to NASA, the two stars are so close together that the red giant becomes unstable and begins to shed its outer layers.
The white dwarf collects this material on its surface. As a result, its atmosphere heats up so much that a thermonuclear reaction occurs – i.e. an eruption that can be seen even from Earth. According to NASA, there are five more such recurring novae in our galaxy.
Comet with a shimmering tail in the evening sky
Even before the nova explosion, amateur astronomers can observe another recurring spectacle in the night sky from Earth. Approximately every 70 years, the comet “12 P/Pons-Brooks” can be seen from Earth for some time during its orbit. The closest approach to Earth is predicted for June 2, 2024.
You can see the comet with binoculars – and with a little luck even with the naked eye – in the northwestern night sky in the evening.
“12P/Pons-Brooks” was discovered in 1812 and has been observed ever since. It orbits the Sun in an elliptical orbit similar to that of Halley’s Comet.