astronomy
NASA: Bright outbreak will soon be visible from Earth
The starry sky shines over a rapeseed field. According to NASA, a celestial spectacle could occur in the coming months – a so-called nova explosion. photo
© Daniel Reinhardt/dpa
According to NASA, a celestial spectacle could occur in the coming months: a so-called nova explosion will cause a star system to shine brightly.
Normally, the system, located between the constellations Bear Guardian and Hercules in the Northern Hemisphere, cannot be seen with the naked eye. But during the nova explosion, which is expected until around September, the brightness of the Polar Star will be reached – and “T Coronae Borealis” will look like a bright, new star. The last time this happened was in 1946.
Visible to the naked eye for several days
The star system is said to be visible to the naked eye for several days and with binoculars for just over a week. According to NASA, it is about 3,000 light-years away from us. A light year is the distance that light travels in one year – a distance of 9.46 trillion kilometers.
According to the information, “T Coronae Borealis” is a binary star system with a white dwarf and a red giant. They are so close to each other that the red giant becomes unstable and begins to shed its outer layers. The white dwarf collects this material on its surface. As a result, its atmosphere heats up so much that a thermonuclear reaction occurs – this is the eruption that can be seen even from Earth. There are other such recurring novae in our galaxy.