Boston, MA – Skywatchers will soon have the rare opportunity to witness a celestial event that has not been seen in over eight decades. A star located 3,000 light-years away in the Northern hemisphere, known as T Coronae Borealis or T CrB, is on the verge of an intense outburst, promising a spectacular show in the night sky.
Expected to occur sometime this year, the event will see T CrB illuminating the Corona Borealis constellation, shining as brightly as the well-known North Star, Polaris, for about a week. The exact timing of this extraordinary display remains uncertain, with NASA predicting it to happen between now and September. Positioned within the Corona Borealis constellation, T CrB lies in a semi-circular pattern between the Bootes and Hercules constellations.
This rare astronomical event, classified as a nova, occurs approximately once a century. It involves a white dwarf star – collapsed and similar in size to the sun – and a red giant star, which is nearing the end of its life and expanding to about 74 times the size of the sun, coming too close to each other. The close proximity triggers a surge in the red giant’s surface temperature, causing T CrB to shed its outer layers onto the white dwarf’s surface.
The combined matter from the red giant leads to a massive nuclear explosion, releasing an energy burst up to 100,000 times greater than the sun’s annual output. Unlike a supernova, which destroys the star, a nova like T CrB’s allows the star system to cool down to its original state and restart its cycle.
Historical records date back T CrB’s significant eruptions to 1946 and even 1866, with earlier accounts suggesting observations several centuries ago. Notably, Reverend Francis Wollaston in 1787 and Abbott Burchard in 1217 documented witnessing a bright star in the Corona Borealis constellation, hinting at the star’s earlier appearances.
This upcoming event is anticipated to be a unique spectacle, showcasing a brief yet intense display that culminates within a week. NASA expects the nova’s peak brightness to be visible to the naked eye for several days and with binoculars for just over a week before fading away, possibly not to be seen again for another 80 years. Sky enthusiasts and the inquisitive are encouraged to witness and appreciate the ephemeral beauty of celestial phenomena.