Paris: Amateur astronomers may have a unique opportunity to witness a spectacular star explosion in the night sky within the next few months. A binary star system located 3,000 light years from Earth, in the constellation Northern Crown, is set to undergo a dramatic cosmic event, becoming a bright new star visible for a few days. This occurrence, known as a nova, is a rare and mesmerizing phenomenon that occurs every 80 years when the two stars in the system collide in a runaway nuclear explosion.
The upcoming event will mark the third time in history that humans will observe such a rare celestial happening. This explosion was first discovered by John Birmingham in 1866 and repeated in 1946. Astronomers are eagerly anticipating the event, with experts like Sumner Starrfield from Arizona State University studying the star system for decades, preparing to document and analyze the nova’s eruption once it happens.
Recurring novas like this one are exceptional in the Milky Way and neighboring galaxies, with only around 10 known to exist. Unlike normal novas that explode every 100,000 years, recurrent novas like this one reoccur due to the unique interaction between the two stars in the system. The red giant, a dying star, and the white dwarf, its companion, have a significant size difference, with the white dwarf taking 227 days to orbit the red giant.
As matter accumulates on the white dwarf, reaching the mass of Earth over approximately 80 years, it triggers a chain reaction resulting in a massive explosion. This explosion, reaching temperatures of up to 200 million degrees Celsius within seconds, is a spectacular event that astronomers around the world are preparing to witness and study. Advanced telescopes, like the upcoming James Webb space telescope, will be observing the nova, providing valuable insights into the cosmic event.
Despite the advanced technology available, sky watchers do not need sophisticated equipment to witness this once-in-a-lifetime event. Simply looking towards the Northern Crown constellation will be enough to witness the bright new star as it appears in the night sky. This extraordinary event adds to the astronomical marvels of 2021, which also includes a rare total solar eclipse occurring across a strip of the United States on Monday, further captivating astronomy enthusiasts and sky gazers alike.