All about the rare cosmic explosion that will be visible from Earth: “It could happen tonight”

This year, The inhabitants of the Earth will witness a cosmic explosion. There’s good news for astronomy buffs and the curious in general: the event will be visible in the night sky without the need for special gadgets or instruments. “We will see a new and bright star only in a few days,” he says in a dialogue with Hypertext specialist in this matter Sumner StarfieldProfessor at Arizona State University, USA.

The event is truly unique because it repeats itself at intervals of approximately 80 years. Therefore it will be a unique opportunity in the lives of most people to directly visualize the power of the cosmos. In particular, the explosion will occur in a star system located at a distance of 3000 light years from Earth, called Northern Crown.

When will the cosmic explosion happen? Starrfield clarifies that a specific date cannot be determined, although it will likely happen before October of this year. “This could have happened this very night,” the astronomer comments on the event, which was last recorded in 1946.

Details of a cosmic explosion that can be seen from Earth

Corona Borealis is a constellation in the shape of a semicircular arc. CrB – also known by this name – typically has faint stars, making them difficult to observe with the naked eye. But if the size and brightness of one of its members increases, it will become visible. This will happen due to a game between its red giant and a white dwarf in the TCrB system.

In the right sector of the simulation we see a red giant orbiting a white dwarf. As NASA explained in a recording detailing the cosmic explosion, when the first one moves behind the second one, it “lights up and fills the screen with light.” “So after the haze clears, there is a small white spot left behind, indicating that the white dwarf survived.”

What will be the result? download product, the star will reach maximum brightness and will be visible from Earth. This phenomenon will last several days, the US space agency says, and it will be possible to observe it with binoculars for a little more than a week. In the meantime, scientists will take the opportunity to study it with advanced tools before it disappears again. When its shine fades, we will have to wait another eight decades.

Glow of a repeating nova

The system in which the cosmic explosion will occur is classified as recurring nova. In astronomy, these are the ones that explode at regular intervals, in this case about 80 years. Important fact: it is one of five known repeating novae in the galaxy.

The expected “bang!” and the subsequent increase in brightness occurs because the above-mentioned members of the binary system are very close. On the one hand, the red giant becomes unstable due to increasing temperature and pressure, so it begins to eject its outer layers. For its part, the white dwarf accumulates this material on its surface and heats up, causing an uncontrolled thermonuclear reaction. The result will be something that can be seen from Earth.

“It will be almost as visible as Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion,” Starrfield compares to a supergiant star, the ninth brightest in the sky.

“We will see a new bright star”

Starrfield is a reference for those interested in cosmic explosion, which I’ll print new star in the sky, even if it’s for a few days. At 70 years old, the American astronomer holds an honorary position at Arizona State University. He also holds a degree in mathematics and a PhD in astrophysics from the University of California, Los Angeles. “I studied different parts of the Universe, it always made me curious,” he says in a dialogue with this publication. “I’m interested to know how things are,” he adds.

Regarding the Northern Corona outbreak, it is mentioned that it could occur between now and October. Is it possible to determine a more precise date?

This recurring nova previously exploded in 1866 and 1946. This means that 80 years passed between these events. At the time, the system had been widely observed in the 1940s and had increased in brightness several years earlier. Then it suddenly dimmed. At the moment it has gone through phases of glowing and fading, so we are hoping that it will disappear for a moment. Therefore, we cannot observe it right now and we do not know how close the next explosion is. It could be tonight, maybe this fall. This may not even happen until the end of 2026 or 2027..

In any case, we are preparing to observe this cosmic explosion using orbital and ground-based telescopes. If it explodes this fall, it may be hidden behind the Sun and we won’t see it explode. I hope that’s not the case.

How was it possible to determine that an explosion occurs every 80 years and not at other times?

This is a special case of this repeating nova. There are other systems that are activated much more often. For example, one in M31, the large Andromeda galaxy, flares up every year. There are others that activate about once every decade. In this case, we think it will explode in 80 years, since its behavior is similar to what happened around 1946.

Is it true that a cosmic explosion can be seen from Earth without the use of instruments? What exactly will we be able to see?

We will see a bright “nova” star in the constellation of the Northern Crown. It’s worth remembering here that “nova” means “new” in Latin. It will be one of the brightest stars in the night sky and will be clearly visible from the city.

How long will this phenomenon last?

Probably about a week, if what happened with the last explosion happens again. It reaches maximum brightness after a few hours and then disappears within a few days. At that time, it will only be visible through binoculars or telescopes. Those interested should turn their attention to the constellation of the Northern Crown. If you’re new to amateur astronomy, you may not have noticed anything new in the sky.

What information can scientists gather in this context?

We already have an approved project with the James Webb Space Telescope to observe this star as it explodes. Thus, we will determine the composition of the gases and the amount of substance released during the explosion. Also how fast it moves. This will tell us what caused the flare and provide detailed information about the star’s behavior.

This cosmic explosion is the “largest hydrogen bomb in the Universe”

Small and dense the star who will star in this event is nearing the end of his lifeexplains Starrfield. As we have detailed, this phenomenon occurs because it has a satellite that is losing gas, which falls onto its surface and when it accumulates, a discharge occurs.

“We believe this is more or less the same type of explosion that causes a hydrogen bomb. In fact, we call it the largest hydrogen bomb in the universe,” he notes. In any case, the scale of this cosmic explosion extends beyond the boundaries of the star system in which it will occur.

As the expert concludes, they will try to “determine whether the mass of the white dwarf is increasing or decreasing.” If this happens gradually, may become a supernova that destroys the entire star. “It is this type of supernova (there are several types) that is used to study the expansion of the Universe,” he concludes.

This will be a special opportunity for a general audience and astronomy enthusiasts. After all, seeing a new star in the sky is not a common occurrence.