Blaze Star, T Coronae Borealis, is projected to appear in the night sky in the coming days or weeks. The star explosion will be bright and quick, but fans won't want to miss it.
T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) is a binary system with a white dwarf and a red giant. In summary,
a main sequence star like our Sun collapses over billions of years as its core runs out of hydrogen.
A white dwarf is a dead star after being reduced to its core.
The white dwarf collects hydrogen from the red giant in orbit. Pressure and heat cause a thermonuclear explosion every 80 years that can traverse 2,600 years to reach our realm.
The T Coronae Borealis nova, not supernova, occurs once in a lifetime for most humans.
Earth cannot see T Coronae Borealis, a tiny constellation of seven stars 3,000 light years away.
However, the approaching celestial event only affects the "Northern Crown," the binary system within the constellation. Alphecca shines brightest.
First recorded centuries ago, the last T CrB nova occurred in 1946. The rare recurrent nova with brief life cycles and one powerful enough to reach us attracts enthusiasts and researchers.
“This once-in-a-lifetime event will create many new astronomers. Giving kids a cosmic event they can see, ask questions, and collect data,” said Dr. Rebekah Hounsel, a NASA Goddard Space Flight Center assistant research scientist specializing in nova events in Greenbelt, Maryland.