📷 Image Credits: NewsBytes
A rare celestial event is set to occur in our Milky Way galaxy as the T Coronae Borealis star system is expected to nova. This phenomenon, which occurs when a small star suddenly brightens dramatically for a short period, is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Located about 3,000 light-years from Earth, the T Coronae Borealis system is a binary star system consisting of a white dwarf and a red giant. As the red giant heats up and pressure grows, it will start spewing matter collected by the white dwarf, eventually leading to an explosion. When the nova occurs, the star system could surge from a +10 magnitude to a +2, becoming as bright as the North Star. Astronomers predict that the nova will be visible for several days, with binoculars allowing viewers to see it for just over a week. The last recorded outburst of T Coronae Borealis was in 1946, but historical records date sightings as far back as 1217. Astrophysicists are eager to study this impending nova using NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and James Webb Space Telescope to better understand these recurrent phenomena.
