Latest news with #YusukeTampo
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A star exploded in the Lupus constellation. Here's how to see the nova in the night sky this month
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An ordinarily dim star is making a brilliant appearance in the night sky after unleashing a powerful nova explosion, which has rendered it visible to the naked eye. The nova V462 Lupi was first discovered on June 12 by the Ohio State University-led All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae (ASAS-SN), as reported by Sky & Telescope. The star that spawned the nova is usually too dim to see with the naked eye, boasting an apparent brightness — or magnitude — of +22.3. However, the explosion of radiation thrown out by the nova caused it to brighten dramatically, making it appear as if a new star is shining in the night sky! Remember, the lower an object's magnitude, the brighter it is in the night sky. For reference, the human eye is capable of seeing stars with a magnitude of +6.5 or greater under dark sky conditions. A subsequent analysis of the star's light fingerprint by astronomer Yusuke Tampo of the University of Cape Town, South Africa led to the event being classified as a classical nova. This form of stellar explosion occurs when the gravitational influence of a white dwarf star orbiting in a binary system strips mass from its nearby companion. This process continues until the mass accumulated on the surface of the white dwarf is heated to the point that a cataclysmic fusion reaction becomes inevitable. The resulting explosion releases a colossal outpouring of radiation, which can be visible from Earth. Soon after its discovery on July 14, observers associated with the American Association for Variable Stars (AAVSO) reported that V462 Lupi was visible through a pair of 15x70 binoculars with a magnitude of around +7.9. The nova was observed to steadily brighten in the days following its discovery, eventually becoming visible to the naked eye around the middle of June. It subsequently crescendoed, with some reports placing its brightness at over +5.5. Sadly, the AAVSO light curve of V462 Lupi based on member observations appears to show that the nova is now on the decline. V462 Lupi will soon vanish from the night sky, but before it does, the dark skies around the new moon present a perfect time to head away from city lights to hunt down the ancient nova light. We would advise taking a pair of 10x50 binoculars, which will make it easier to spot the subsiding light of the nova while providing a wide field of view with which to observe the multitude of surrounding stars. The nova can be found in the patch of sky close to the bright stars Delta Lupi and Kappa Centauri in the constellation of Lupus, the wolf. Its exact location is best found with the aid of a star chart, which, as noted by Sky & Telescope, can be generated on the AAVSO website by typing 'V462 Lup' into the 'Pick a star' box and clicking 'Create a finder chart'. V462 Lupi will be easiest to spot for skywatchers in the southern hemisphere, where the nova will be highest in the post-sunset sky. However, the patch of sky containing the nova will also be visible close to the southern horizon for U.S. stargazers living in states closest to the equator, such as Texas, Florida, and Louisiana.
Miami Herald
20-06-2025
- Science
- Miami Herald
Unexpected explosion in the Milky Way creates a new star. Where you can see it
Sky watchers around the world have a new star to hunt for in the night sky, thanks to a recently detected explosion in our galaxy. The nova, named V462 Lup, is located within the southern constellation Lupus, according to the American Association of Variable Star Observers database. However, people in North America may be able to see it with the naked eye 'close to the southern horizon, just after sunset,' LiveScience reported. Astronomers from Ohio State University's All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae first detected the new point of light, with a magnitude of +8.7, on June 12. On June 14, Yusuke Tampo, an astronomer at the South African Astronomical Observatory, reported the nova did not exist in previous photometric surveys, confirming it as new, according to email records shared by The Astronomer's Telegram. Astronomer Dawid Moździerski, who photographed V462 Lup from Chile's Atacama desert, said the star's magnitude had increased to +5.7, making it visible without the need for a telescope or binoculars, according to an image shared on A nova is 'a sudden, short-lived explosion from a compact star not much larger than Earth,', according to NASA. 'The explosion happens when a collapsed star known as a white dwarf circles so close to a normal star that a stream of gas flows between them,' experts said. This gas accumulates on the surface of the white dwarf 'until it reaches a flash point and detonates in a runaway thermonuclear explosion,' NASA said. Astronomers estimate that 'between 20 and 50 novae occur each year in our galaxy,' most of which go unnoticed, according to experts. Online star charts like SkyLive can help you find which constellations are visible in your area and how to locate certain objects in the night sky.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
A 'new star' has exploded into the night sky — and you can see it from North America
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. A "new star" is shining in the constellation Lupus thanks to an unexpected stellar explosion within the Milky Way — and it can currently be seen with the naked eye from parts of North America. On June 12, astronomers from the All-Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae at Ohio State University first spotted the new point of light, which had an apparent magnitude of +8.7 at the time, still too dim to be seen by the naked eye, Sky & Telescope originally reported. (A smaller magnitude signifies a brighter object; for example, the moon has an apparent magnitude of -12.7). Over the next few days, the rapidly brightening object took on several temporary names — including AT 2025nlr, ASASSN-25cm, and N Lup 2025 — as researchers scrambled to determine its identity. Astronomer Yusuke Tampo, from the South African Astronomical Observatory at the University of Cape Town, then analyzed the light coming from the object and determined that it is likely a classical nova — a massive stellar explosion that temporarily shines bright in the night sky. On June 16, it was given the official designation V462 Lupi. By June 18, V462 Lupi had brightened to an apparent magnitude of +5.7, which makes it just visible to the naked eye. This also makes it around 4 million times brighter than its extremely dim progenitor star was before June 12, according to Related: Nearly 900 years ago, astronomers spotted a strange, bright light in the sky. We finally know what caused it. There is a chance that the nova will continue to brighten in the coming days, making it even easier to spot. The Lupus constellation is located in the southern sky, meaning that V462 Lupi is most easily visible from the Southern Hemisphere. However, it can also be seen from North America, close to the southern horizon, just after sunset. Amateur astronomers from the U.S. have reported seeing it in places such as Arizona and California, and as far north as Lake Superior, according to Sky & Telescope. You may be able to spot it without any additional equipment. However, it would be easier to spot if you had a decent telescope or a pair of stargazing binoculars, especially if you are viewing it from the U.S. or if the explosion starts to dim over the coming days. Unlike supernovas, which are so powerful that they completely rip stars apart, a nova only affects the outer layer of a star. Classical novas, such as V462 Lupi, occur in a specific type of binary system, where a more massive white dwarf star is pulling material away from its larger partner. When enough material has been accreted onto the dwarf star's surface, the pressure builds up and triggers an explosion that burns up most of the stolen gas and shoots pulses of bright light toward Earth. Naked-eye classical novas are rare. They appear "no more than once a year," representatives wrote, "and most are so close to the limit of naked-eye sensitivity that they can be invisible despite being technically [visible]." RELATED STORIES —Supernova that lit up Earth's skies 843 years ago has a flowering 'zombie star' at its heart — and it's still exploding —Mystery explosion 1,000 years ago may be a rare, third type of supernova —Rare quadruple supernova on our 'cosmic doorstep' will shine brighter than the moon when it blows up in 23 billion years Some novas are also recurring events, blowing their top at regular intervals: For example, the long-awaited T Coronae Borealis nova, also known as the "Blaze Star," lights up our skies roughly every 80 years. However, astronomers have been predicting that the Blaze Star will reappear imminently for the last 15 months, and it is yet to emerge, which shows that it is not an exact science. As this is the first recorded appearance of V462 Lupi, we have no idea if or when it will explode again in the future.
