Latest news with #TCoronaeBorealis
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Four planets, a new star and a meteor shower. What else will you see in the May sky?
When you look at the night sky in May, you won't just find stars and a moon, you'll find four planets, a chance of meteor showers and the possibility of a super nova. Here's more of what to expect in the sky this month. All throughout the month of May, both Mars and Jupiter will be in the western sky just after sunset. Mars will be visible for several hours after nightfall, but Jupiter will set by around 9:30 or 10 p.m. and will get progressively lower in the sky each day. In the morning before sunrise, Venus and Saturn will be visible in the east. Venus and Mars will progressively pull away from one another throughout the month. For several days in late May, the moon will pass between the two planets. The moon will be closest to Venus and Saturn on May 23. More: Did you miss the eclipse? Photos show the moon taking a 'bite' out of sun. Throughout the month of May and for the next few months, astronomers are looking skyward for a new star explosion that will be visible to the naked eye. Astronomers are searching for a light from a distant explosion, called a nova, to reach Earth. A nova occurs because over 3,000 light years away, a star system known as the T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, consists of a red giant star with a smaller white dwarf star orbiting closely around it. The outer atmosphere around the giant is puffed up and the dwarf star is close enough that gravity will capture some of the giant's hydrogen. Every 80 years the white dwarf has accumulated so much of the said hydrogen that it ignites a thermonuclear explosion. This is what's known as a nova. 'Once-in-a-lifetime event': Nova explosion to look like new star, NASA says The annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which includes meteors that originate from Halley's Comet, took place on May 6. The comet makes a regular return to our solar system, completing an orbit once every 76 years. Each May the Earth passes through the comet's dust stream which creates the meteor's initial streak. If you did not catch the meteor shower, you will get another chance in October. Contact Nicholas Sorensen at Nsorensen@ This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: What to find in the sky during the month of May according to NASA
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Will nova explosion 'star' shine over Ohio soon? Why NASA is excited about T Coronae Borealis
Astronomers have been patiently waiting for a "new star" to glow in the skies above Ohio and across the world. That "new star" will appear when the star T Coronae Borealis goes nova. It was originally expected to happen last year, but there are now signs that the explosion is nearing, according to NASA. T Coronae Borealis, a binary star system about 3,000 light years away, is usually far too dim to see with the naked eye. However, after the star goes nova, the system is expected to be as bright as the North Star, Polaris. The star goes nova every 80 years or so, and last exploded in 1946, per NASA. The star could go nova at any time in the next few months, according to the May 2025 skywatching guide produced by NASA. "Predicting exactly when novas or any sort of stellar outburst will happen is tricky," the guide states. It was originally expected to go nova between February and September 2024. However, excitement about the nova has grown since astronomers observed the star suddenly dim, per NASA, much as it did right before its previous nova. T Coronae Borealis is a binary star system made up of a red giant and a white dwarf. According to NASA, the white dwarf orbits the red giant closely enough that it continually grabs hydrogen from the bigger star. When the white dwarf has accumulated enough of the other star's hydrogen, it ignites a thermonuclear explosion, causing the nova. This happens every 80 years or so. T Coronae Borealis is located in the constellation Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown, between the two bright stars Arcturus and Vega. Use the Big Dipper's handle to point you to the correct part of the sky. The star is normally far too faint to see with the unaided eye. But its nova will be as bright as the constellation's brightest star. Try looking for it on clear, dark nights before the nova happens, so you'll have a comparison when a new star suddenly becomes visible there. The word "nova" comes from the Latin word meaning "new." In astronomical terms, it can seem like there's a new star in the heavens even though that star might be very old and at the end stages of its life. During a nova event, explains NASA, energy explodes from a white dwarf star. Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist specializing in nova events at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, said white dwarf stars aren't much larger than planet Earth but are much more massive. Usually, they're too dim to see at night, but when a nova happens, the sudden explosion can make the star shine brightly enough to be viewed with the naked eye from trillions of miles away. Stars don't always play nice with each other, say experts. Most stars are bound by gravity to one or more companion stars, and things can get interesting — or violent — if these stars get too close. Sometimes when a small white dwarf star orbits a regular star, it can siphon off the larger star's energy. That's because a white dwarf star has about the same mass as Earth's sun, Hounsell said. Its gravity is extremely powerful, not as strong as a black hole, according to Chicago's Adler Planetarium, but roughly 100,000 to 300,000 times the gravity on Earth. "So material is being pulled away from the companion star by the gravity of the white dwarf," Hounsell said. "This material builds up in layers onto the white dwarf's surface and the layers get really, really hot, but the material can't expand." Eventually, the pressure and heat trigger a massive thermonuclear explosion, Hounsell said, which is called a nova. A supernova is the final, fiery explosion that can destroy a dying star. It can briefly outshine entire galaxies, writes and radiate more energy than our sun will produce in its entire lifetime. But while supernovas occur only once, a nova can happen again and again. After a nova explosion, the dwarf star remains intact and the cycle triggering another explosion starts over, which NASA says can take tens, hundreds or even thousands of years. The nova should last roughly a week, Hounsell said, reaching peak brightness in its first few days before fading away. The following free astronomy apps can help you locate stars, planets, and constellations. SkyView Lite for iPhone | Google Play Star Walk 2 for iPhone | Google Play Star Chart for iPhone | Google Play for iPhone | Google Play This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Will T Coronae Borealis nova create 'new star' over Ohio? NASA is excited
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This star erupts every 80 years. This Cape Cod astronomer wants to be first to see it.
From his home in West Dennis, amateur astronomer Gary Walker has his sights set on a cosmic prize: being the first person to spot the next nova from T Coronae Borealis, a stellar eruption that could temporarily add a new bright star to the night sky between now and September. Boosting his chances are the two remote telescopes he regularly uses to scan the sky — one in New Mexico, the other in Spain — both currently programmed to keep nightly watch on the binary system 3,000 light-years away. He's monitored T Coronae for the past few years. "It's an unusual object that has a faint magnitude in the sky, but every 80 years it has an outburst. It will become visible to the naked eye, possibly even in downtown Boston or New York City," he said. The last time it happened was in 1946, Walker said, "so it would be very interesting to be the first person since to see it in outburst. Many other amateur astronomers are also diligently watching it hoping to capture the honor." When the nova does occur, T Coronae will brighten over a period of eight hours to a couple of days, then fade within just a few days. "You have to just be lucky enough to have it happen while you're watching," Walker said. T Coronae, about 3,000 light-years away in the constellation Corona Borealis, was expected to go nova in 2024. That didn't happen, but NASA recently reignited anticipation after detecting activity changes that could signal an eruption sooner than later. Walker said the system often flickers and dims, keeping everyone guessing. But, like NASA observers, he also recently noticed unusual activity that's got him and others closer to the edges of their seats. 'I observed it got fainter more than it typically does,' he said, though it's difficult to know if that's meaningful. Astronomers last recorded an eruption from this system in 1946, with previous outbursts documented in 1866 and 1787. The oldest known record dates to 1217. Walker got hooked on skygazing at 14 after glimpsing Saturn through a neighbor's telescope. He later spent 17 years as a telescope engineer at Maria Mitchell Observatory on Nantucket and now splits his observing time on his two remote scopes with fellow skywatchers. "I get between two and four hours a night on each telescope," he said. "The operation is controlled via software and you tell it which object you want to observe, where and when." Walker and other observers feed their data into the American Association of Variable Star Observers, where both professionals and amateurs track subtle changes in brightness that could signal an oncoming nova. T Coronae consists of two stars — a white dwarf and a red giant — engaged in a slow-motion exchange of mass. A nova happens when a white dwarf siphons hydrogen gas from a nearby, larger companion — typically a red giant or a Sun-like star. As the gas builds up on the white dwarf's surface, the pressure and heat eventually trigger a thermonuclear explosion, causing the star to brighten dramatically for a short time. The white dwarf survives the blast, and the process of gas accumulation and eruption can repeat. 'The correct term is a recurrent nova,' Walker said. That's different from a supernova, he added, 'which is a star that's burned through all of its hydrogen and helium' and dies in a final, catastrophic explosion. Novae only happen in binary or multiple-star systems where a white dwarf closely orbits a larger companion. Eventually, the T Coronae red giant will shed its outer layers and become a white dwarf too — likely ending the nova cycle. It is not massive enough ever to burst as a supernova. T Coronae Borealis usually shines at a faint magnitude of 5.5 — just on the edge of naked-eye visibility under perfect dark-sky conditions. It's 17.6 quadrillion miles from Earth, so far that NASA's fastest spacecraft, the Parker Solar Probe, would take 4.7 million years to reach it. When T Coronae erupts, astronomers expect it to reach at least magnitude 2. For context, on the astronomical magnitude scale — where lower numbers indicate brighter objects — Venus shines at about -4.5, Jupiter at -2, Saturn around +0.5, and Mars typically near +1.5. A magnitude 2 nova would make T Coronae Borealis one of the brighter stars visible at night. "It may even be visible in telescopes in the daytime if you know exactly where to look," Walker said. If the white dwarf has pulled in more material than usual, its nova will be more luminous. To spot the nova, start by locating the constellation Corona Borealis. "Right now, it appears high in the sky after midnight," Walker said. "Then all summer long it'll become visible earlier and earlier. In the fall it'll be visible somewhat west of overhead." The nova will appear between two bright stars: Arcturus in the Boötes constellation and Vega in Lyra. NASA suggests using the end of the Big Dipper's handle as a guide — it points in the general direction of Corona Borealis. Astronomers recommend getting familiar with the constellation's shape and the star's usual faint location ahead of time. That way, when it does erupt, the appearance of a sudden 'new star' will be easier to notice. Heather McCarron writes about climate change, environment, energy, science and the natural world, in addition to news and features in Barnstable and Brewster. Reach her at hmccarron@ Thanks to our subscribers, who help make this coverage possible. If you are not a subscriber, please consider supporting quality local journalism with a Cape Cod Times subscription. Here are our subscription plans. This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Cape Cod astronomer tracks star that could soon go nova
Forbes
11-05-2025
- Science
- Forbes
A New Star Will Soon Appear In The Sky — All About T Coronae Borealis
A drawing star map pointing T CrB in Corona Borealis with a red pencil Have you heard about the nova? Called T Coronae Borealis, also known as T CrB or the 'Blaze Star,' this very dim point of light in the eastern night sky after dark is set to dramatically brighten sometime in 2025. When it does, it will become visible to the naked eye for the first time since 1946 and for the last time until about 2105. A 'recurrent nova" — a star system that brightens briefly every 80 years or so — it's the only one of its kind that does so within the span of a human lifetime. However, unless you know what you're looking at and how to find it, you'll likely miss it. Here's everything you need to know n about T Coronae Borealis, in numbers: T Coronae Borealis is to stars — an expanding red giant star and a small, dense white dwarf star. As it expands, the former is spewing hydrogen onto the latter's surface. When the temperature of the white dwarf reaches around 18 million degrees Fahrenheit (about 10 million degrees Celsius), there's a thermonuclear explosion — and a new star in the sky for a few days. Crucially, the white dwarf is not destroyed, and the 80-year-long process begins again. That's how far away this event will take place. Although the star will seem to erupt in real-time, the explosion happened around 3,000 years ago. Traveling at light speed, it takes that long for T Coronae Borealis' light to reach us. It's the same for all stars — even the sun's light is eight minutes old. Everything you see has already happened — including the thermonuclear flash on T Coronae Borealis. That's how long it's been since the last eruption in 1946. Before that, it was 1866 — we have the records from previous generations of astronomers. Of course, the fact that it's 3,000 light-years distant means it's almost certainly undergone a further 37 thermonuclear explosions, the light of which is on its way to us. A red giant star and white dwarf orbit each other in this animation of a nova similar to T Coronae ... More Borealis. T T Coronae Borealis lies just outside Corona Borealis, a small, crown-shaped arc of seven stars whose name translates to Northern Crown. It's a small and little-known yet beautiful constellation in the Northern Hemisphere. The exact location of T Coronae Borealis is just outside the curve of stars, close to faint Epsilon Coronae Borealis. Find it now so you'll notice the sudden change when it does "go nova." To find Corona Borealis, start with orangish Arcturus in the constellation Boötes and Vega in Lyra — two of the five brightest stars in the entire sky — and look in between for the constellation Corona Borealis. Look east about an hour after dark, and you'll see it as a crescent. When it does flash, T Coronae Borealis will leap from +10 magnitude — which is beyond human sight — to +2 magnitude. That's about the same brightness as Polaris, the North Star, the 48th brightest star in the night sky. T Coronae Borealis will be visible to the naked eye for a few nights. Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A 'once-in-a-lifetime' nova explosion is expected to be seen in the Tennessee night sky. Why it could happen 'any time now'
Another "once-in-a-lifetime" event is coming, but don't worry, it's happening 3,000 light years away. And we get to witness it in the Tennessee night sky. A nova explosion in the binary star system T Coronae Borealis is predicted to happen in May 2025, which people across the United States are expected to be able to see. Scientists first alerted the public about this celestial phenomenon in June 2024. After months of hearing the binary star system that could go nova "any day now," the explosion never came. But now is the time, according to NASA scientists. And the view from the Earth is expected to be pretty spectacular. The highly anticipated nova in the T Coronae Borealis system isn't exactly on a specific timeline. With the system being thousands of light years away, scientists believe that the light projected from the explosion will finally make its way to Earth in the next few months, according to NASA. T Coronae Borealis can be seen in a horseshoe-shaped constellation called Corona Borealis, or the "Northern Crown". NASA encourages sky watchers to practice finding the constellation Corona Borealis in the eastern part of the sky during the first half of the night between Hercules and Bootes, so that people can have a point of comparison when the T CrB nova appears. You can also find it with the two brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere – Arcturus and Vega. It should be between the two of those with the Big Dipper handle pointing the way, according to The Planetary Society. In the T Coronae Borealis system, there is a red giant star with a smaller white dwarf star orbiting closely around it. The dwarf star is close enough to the puffed-up giant that the dwarf takes on some of the giant's hydrogens. When it accumulates enough, it explodes. "About every 80 years, the white dwarf has accumulated so much of the other star's hydrogen, that it ignites a thermonuclear explosion. And that's the nova," read NASA's explanation of the phenomenon. People across Tennessee should be able to see it with the naked eye once it happens. Usually, T Coronae Borealis is very faint and people need a telescope to spot it in the night sky, but the explosion caused by the nova is expected to be so massive, spectators should be able to look up and see it with the naked eye. Florida Today contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: A nova explosion may happen any time now. Will 'T CrB be seen in TN?
