- T Coronae Borealis explodes every 80 years or so – last explosion was in 1946
- Scientists say explosion will be visible without the need for a telescope
- Scientists have observed changes in star that indicate an explosion is close.
A once-in-a-lifetime cosmic event is set to take place in the coming months, where a nova explosion will be visible from Earth with the naked eye.
The T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), a white dwarf star located in the Corona Borealis binary system that also includes an ageing red giant star – about 3,000 light years from Earth – is set for a nova eruption sometime before September, according to experts at Nasa.
Unusually, the explosion will be visible with the naked eye, rather than requiring telescopes.
The last time T CrB exploded was 1946, and it is estimated that explosions happen about every 80 years, so it is more than likely this will be the only opportunity that most people will have to witness this event.
Nasa has used mathematical calculations to arrive at the timeline for this event. T CrB is one of 10 known novas that have recurring explosions – in most cases Nasa experts do not know when an explosion is about to occur.
Another clue that T CrB is gearing up for an explosion is that for the past year or so it has gone dim, and it is known that before an explosion happens a white dwarf star such as T CrB will go dim for about 12 months.
As mentioned, while many nova have been discovered by scientists over the years, very few are known to recur – or their frequency of recurring is so long that it hasn’t been seen; it is thought that a recurring explosion can take millions of years to happen.
