THIS once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon is about to dazzle the night sky soon; here is what you need to know
Most earthlings will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a stellar phenomenon that takes place every 80 years in a star system located about 3,000 lightyears away from Earth. Read on to know more.
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Nova in coming months: What we know
What is T CrB?
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Earthlings are set to witness a rare stellar phenomenon that happens once in approximately every 80 years. It is expected that a nova will take place soon in the coming months. Nova is referred to as an explosion in a binary star system.The star system in question is called T Coronae Borealis , or " T CrB ". It is composed of two stars that belong to two distinct categories: a white dwarf, and a red star. The upcoming eruption in T Coronae Borealis is likely to be visible to the naked eye for a brief period. The star system has been under the watch of astronomers for quite some time now.T Coronae Borealis, which is a part of the Northern Crown constellation, is located nearly 3,000 lightyears away from Earth. The periodic nova in the star system results from the over-accumulation of gases around the white dwarf. The impact of thermonuclear explosion only impacts the surface of the Earth-sized remnant.The gases that build up around the white dwarf over time are emitted by the red giant. The process takes several thousand years to complete a full cycle in most cases. However, in the case of T CrB, it does so in just 80 years, making it a lifetime event for most people.Past novae in the binary system are known to have occurred in 1787, 1866, and 1946. Prior to that, an outburst was likely recorded in 1217. The latest explosion in T CrB was earlier expected to take place in late 2024. However, that obviously did not happen. It is hard to predict when a Nova will exactly occur. In recent years, astronomers started observing T CrB when it appeared to lose its brightness.As per NASA , the anticipated nova eruption greatly interests astronomers as such events are relatively rare in Earth's vicinity. The outburst's proximity from Earth will enable scientists to observe the event in unusual detail. An average nova can be around 200,000 times brighter, as compared to the Sun. The brightest nova can be 10 times brighter than that, as per NASA.The nova explosion in T CrB repeats itself every 80 years or so.The last stellar explosion in T CrB was documented in 1946.
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