A once-in-a-lifetime T Coronae Borealis Nova event is expected soon

About every 80 years, the system we call T Coronae Borealis experiences a sudden increase in brightness. It becomes up to 1,585 times brighter, earning it the nickname “The Blaze Star.” But there is a more apt name: it is a recurring nova that will brighten again very soon.

The system consists of two very developed stars. One is a red giant and the other is a white dwarf. However, the white dwarf is a petty thief. It steals material from the red giant and that is the cause of the nova.

A white dwarf is the end product of a star like the Sun. Once it has used up all of its nuclear fuel following its transformation into a red giant, its core contracts into a dense, hot object, displacing the outer layers of plasma.

This exposed core stays hot and bright and usually doesn’t do much else unless a companion provides matter. In this case, the material can build up on the hot surface and increase pressure and temperature over the years until a thermonuclear reaction occurs, resulting in a large explosion. This is the Nova.

It only affects the surface layer and as long as the material supply is stable, it will repeat again and again. A nova was documented for T Corona Borealis in 1787, 1866 and 1946. An even earlier eruption is also believed to have been recorded in a medieval manuscript from 1217.

Based on observations of the last event, researchers are certain that the nova is imminent. In 2016, we reported that, just like in 1938, it was starting to get brighter and bluer before the 1946 eruption. Based on observations over the last eight years, researchers expected this would most likely happen before September 2024 – but novae are not precise clocks.

“Predictions in astronomy can generally be divided into two categories: either extremely precise – e.g. When will there be a solar eclipse, exactly to the second? – or completely inaccurate – maybe tomorrow or maybe in a year? This particular event falls into the latter category. “Before September” is by no means certain. “The past performance of this particular object seems to indicate that this is more likely (at a confidence level of >75% or so?) to be the case by then, but not certain – yes, it could wait until next year,” says Dr . Gerard van Belle from Lowell Observatory submitted it to IFLScience in July.

Despite the uncertainty about the exact date of the explosion, both researchers and amateur astronomers regularly keep an eye on the Corona Borealis constellation. Astronomers using NASA’s Fermi Telescope observe the white dwarf daily, collecting important data about what happens before a nova erupts and hoping to catch it in the act. T Coronae Borealis is 3,000 light years away, which is very close to us in cosmic terms.

“There are a few recurring novae with very short cycles, but we don’t typically see a repeat eruption often in a person’s lifetime, and rarely one that is so relatively close to our own system,” says Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, an associate research scientist, said in a statement. “It’s incredibly exciting to have this front row seat.”

For all other sky lovers like us: we just have to keep our eyes open. Currently, the constellation rises in the northern sky in the early hours of the morning, so waiting a few more months could make it easier for more people to see the event.