In the next six months, another “star” will appear in the sky. In fact, this would be a very rare outbreak of the new T Coronae Borealis virus. The bright object can be observed with the naked eye for several days. Where are you looking for it?
Some things only happen once in a lifetime. One of them is the opportunity to observe new – A star explosion in a binary system – Without using professional telescopes or even binoculars. The opportunity to observe a rare cosmic spectacle will not be repeated again for several decades.
At the end of February, NASA announced this The T Coronae Borealis binary system will soon become visible to the naked eye. These two stars revolve around each other, and one of them shines periodically. It lasts only a few days, and the explosion occurs once every few decades.
The last time this happened was in 1946. Scientists expect it to happen again We will see this new in the coming months: until September 2024.
T Coronae Borealis 2 stars It is 3000 light years away from Earth. One is a red giant and the other is a white dwarf. Typically, it has a brightness of 10 degrees. This means we cannot see it without the support of technology. However, when it lights up, then Its brightness will increase and reach magnitude 2. The smaller the star, the brighter the star. The sun's strength is 26 below zero.
“When it brightens, T Coronae Borealis will be visible to the naked eye for several days. For about a week, through the endoscope. “And then it will turn off again, probably within the next 80 years,” we can read in a NASA blog.
This means it's best not to miss the opportunity to see this special new feature. Where are you looking for it? Between Woollars and Hercules, in the northern constellation Corona. This small constellation of stars forms a wreath-shaped arc.
Usually about twenty stars can be seen in it (provided that we are in an area not polluted by light and with a clear sky). When the nova explodes, another star will appear among them. How to distinguish it? It will be very bright. Magnitudo 2 contains the North Star, or Alpha Ursae Minoris, which is the brightest star in the Ursa Minor constellation.
What exactly will happen in the T Coronae Borealis system? A red giant is a star in the final stages of evolution. They are swollen and enlarged, and often unstable. If there is another star nearby – in this case a white dwarf – It attracts material from the red giant.
A white dwarf is the remains of a former star. It gradually cools because nuclear fusion no longer occurs inside the body. But in new cases, fusion can occur on the surface. When enough material from a red giant falls onto a white dwarf, it will heat its atmosphere until it reaches its “flash point.” That is, until the thermonuclear reaction begins. It lasts for a very short time, and then the white dwarf brightens so intensely that it becomes visible in the night sky.
Then it fades again and the whole cycle may repeat with great regularity. These types of systems are called new return systems. T Corona Borealis is one of them.
sources: NASA, Space.com website.
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