An illustration of T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), the recurring nova system known as the “Blaze Star”.
A faint star in the summer night sky is now on the verge of exploding and could become visible to the naked eye any day now, according to a leading expert. The so-called ‘Blaze Star’ is predicted to become 1,000 times brighter than normal and shine for several days.
He explained ‘Blaze Star’.
The star, also known as T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB for short, is a variable star about 3,000 years away in the Corona Borealis (“Northern Crown”), a crescent-shaped constellation of seven stars directly above northern hemisphere observers in summer .
In the wake of a massive thermonuclear explosion every 80 years, the star brightens every 80 years, about the average length of a human lifetime, making it a once-in-a-lifetime event for astronomers and astrologers.
“See the Fire of Hell”
“Our best estimate for the time of the explosion is close to nowsaid Brad Schaefer, Professor Emeritus of Astronomy at Louisiana State University and an expert on T CrB, SpaceWeather.com. “T CrB will be the brightest nova for generations. “It’s an opportunity for everyone in the world to come out, look up and see the fire of hell.”
Although astronomers are excited by the prospect of T CrB exploding and becoming visible to the naked eye for a short time, visually, it will not be on par with an eclipse, aurora, or comet with the naked eye. It is expected to become as bright as Polaris, the ‘North Star’, the 48th brightest star in the night sky.
How to find “Blaze Star”
Corona Borealis is located between the constellations Boötes and Hercules. Follow the curve of Ursa Major’s handle – now high in the northern sky after dark – to a bright star called Arcturus. Now find another bright star, Vega, above the east but lower in the sky than Arcturus. Corona Borealis is between the two. T CrB is located just outside the crescent of seven stars in the Corona Borealis.
Below is a find chart, followed by a chart showing where the “Blaze Star” is located. Get to know the night sky around here and you’ll be speechless when the nova appears.
How to find Corona Borealis.
The constellation Corona Borealis, with the location of the “Blaze Star” shown.
Why the ‘Blaze Star’ explodes
T CrB is what astronomers call repetitive nova (new star) that explodes immediately every 80 years. They are actually two stars – a red giant and a smaller, cooler white dwarf – orbiting each other. The red giant emits a lot of hydrogen, which ends up on the surface of the white dwarf. It heats up to a critical temperature every 80 years, setting off a huge explosion, which, however, does not destroy the white dwarf.
Astronomers know it’s on the brink because a year before it becomes visible to the naked eye, T CrB drops noticeably in brightness. The American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) was announced a dip before the eruption in March 2023, making this summer the predicted time frame for the eruption. Astronomers collected data on what happens just before it exploded in 1946 and 1866.
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