A Stellar Explosion May Temporarily Add a ‘New Star’ to the Summer Night Sky

This summer, stargazers have a chance to witness a rare celestial event. By scanning the night sky for the constellation Corona Borealis, you might catch a glimpse of what appears to be a new star. “This brightening point of light is not actually a new star but a nova eruption occurring about 3,000 light-years from Earth.”

The nova will occur when a white dwarf star, orbiting a red giant, siphons material from its larger companion. As the mass on the white dwarf’s surface increases, the rising pressure and temperature will trigger a powerful explosion visible from Earth with the naked eye for only a few days to a week. Gerardo Juan Manuel Luna, an astronomer at the Universidad Nacional De Hurlingham in Argentina, describes this event as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

The Binary System T Corona Borealis

T Corona Borealis (T CrB), a binary system, is expected to erupt anytime between now and September. T CrB has a history of erupting roughly every 80 years, with the last occurrence in 1946. These nova events were first reported by Tycho Brahe in 1573, who referred to them as “new stars” in his work De Nova Stella.

Modern astronomers now understand that these novas are explosions from white dwarfs, the dense remnants of stars that have shed their outer layers. When a white dwarf accumulates enough material from a companion star, the resultant mass can trigger a nova. T CrB has recently shown a pattern of increased activity, indicating that a nova is imminent.

Observing the Event and Scientific Preparation

To observe this event, find the constellation Corona Borealis, which means “Northern Crown.” This constellation forms an arc of seven stars and lies between the bright stars Vega and Arcturus. It is visible high overhead during summer evenings in the Northern Hemisphere and near the northern horizon in the Southern Hemisphere. The nova will appear just outside the semicircle of stars that form the constellation.

Scientists are preparing for an unprecedented observation of the nova in the T Corona Borealis (T CrB) system. Utilizing dozens of telescopes worldwide and in space, they aim to study the nova across the entire electromagnetic spectrum to uncover the mysteries of these cosmic explosions. “This coordinated effort hopes to provide insights relevant to all accreting and eruptive white dwarfs.”

One of the main scientific questions is whether the white dwarf in T CrB gains or loses mass after each nova event. The explosion ejects material into space, with the white dwarf potentially absorbing mass from the red giant, thereby increasing its mass over time. This process could eventually lead to larger explosions called type 1a supernovas, which are significant in the evolution of star systems and galaxies.

The Impact of Shock Waves and Dust Formation

Additionally, researchers are interested in how shock waves from the nova will travel through the gas surrounding the red giant and whether dust will form in this extreme environment. Understanding this process is crucial for learning where the dust that forms stars and planets originates. Astronomers will also monitor for high-energy gamma rays, which were unexpectedly detected from a nova in 2010, challenging previous assumptions about the energy levels of these events.

The eruption of T CrB is unpredictable, with little warning before it occurs, and there is no guarantee it will happen in the coming months. However, based on past behavior, scientists remain hopeful that the event will occur soon. They believe that amateur astronomers might be the first to detect the nova, given the right conditions.

“If T CrB follows its historical pattern, those who find a dark location to observe the Corona Borealis constellation at the right time could witness this rare and spectacular celestial event.” The data gathered from this eruption will be invaluable in advancing our understanding of white dwarf novae and their impact on the cosmos.

Read the Original Article on: Science News

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