First the solar eclipse. Then this.
Another spectacular celestial phenomenon is expected to occur this summer.
astronomy
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released a report. The agency detailed earlier this month that it believes a stellar explosion, also known as a nova, will be visible to the naked eye for just under a week in the coming months.
Unfortunately, it has yet to be determined when exactly this stellar eruption will occur, so “within the next few months” is the best time estimate scientists can offer.
But here are some more specific details: The star in question is T Corona Borealis (astronomers call it the “Blaze Star” or “T CrB”), a binary star system located in the northern celestial hemisphere, about 3,000 light-years from Earth.
As explained in a press release, the system consists of a white dwarf, the remnant of a dead star, whose gravity is slowly eating away at the hydrogen of a nearby red giant.
Slowly but surely, the hydrogen from the red giant causes pressure and heat to build up on the surface of the white giant. Eventually, this causes an explosion so big it can be seen from our blue planet.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create a lot of new astronomers, giving young people an opportunity to make their own observations of cosmic events, ask their own questions and collect their own data,” said Dr. Rebecca, a research assistant scientist specializing in nova phenomena at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. “This will inspire the next generation of scientists.”
If you want to see this new star for yourself, Recommended by Fox News Looking west into the constellation Hercules, you can pinpoint the star T Corona Borealis. If a new star appears in the sky, you will know when the eruption has occurred.
“Civilian scientists and space enthusiasts are constantly on the lookout for strong, bright signals that identify nova explosions and other phenomena,” added Dr. Elizabeth Hayes, director of NASA’s Goddard Astroparticle Physics Laboratory. “Using social media and email, they immediately raise the alarm and the flag goes up.”
“We look forward to engaging with the global community again with T CrB.”