A rare cosmic explosion, known as a nova, is expected to take place anytime from now until September, according to NASA. The nova explosion should be visible to the naked eye, though it will occur 3,000 lightyears away from Earth.
The nova on the brink of an outburst is known as T Coronae Borealis. It is located in the Milky Way between the Boötes and Hercules constellations, per Space.
What causes a nova explosion?
Nova outbursts occur when a white dwarf, the core of a dead star, becomes trapped in the orbit of a red giant star. Though relatively small, the white dwarf is dense enough to steal hydrogen-rich stellar material from the red giant star.
The process causes the white dwarf to heat up — eventually triggering a visible bright flash known as a nova explosion.
“As matter accumulates on the surface of the white dwarf, it heats up and you get higher and higher pressure until bang — it’s a runaway reaction,” Bradley Schaefer, a professor emeritus of physics and astronomy at Louisiana State University, told NBC News. ”It’s going to be bright in the sky, so it’ll be easily visible from your backyard.”
“These novae are basically hydrogen bombs,” Schaefer told The New York Times.
Nova explosion vs. a supernova
This cosmic event is not to be confused with a supernova, which occurs when a star explodes and dies. A nova eruption does not end in the creation of or destruction of a star. Following the upcoming nova explosion, the white dwarf star will restart the process, gathering hydrogen matter until the time comes for another eruption, per Space.
T Coronae Borealis is a recurrent nova because the upcoming cosmic explosion reoccurs roughly once every eight decades. The last visible nova eruption occurred in 1946.
“This could be a once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity as the nova outburst only occurs about every 80 years,” NASA wrote in a statement.
“Once its brightness peaks, it should be visible to the unaided eye for several days and just over a week with binoculars before it dims again, possibly for another 80 years.”
Most nova eruptions are completely unpredictable, William J. Cooke, the Meteoroid Environments Office lead at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, explained to CNN.
“However, T Coronae Borealis is one of 10 recurring novae in the galaxy. We know from the last eruption back in 1946 that the star will get dimmer for just over a year before rapidly increasing in brightness. T Coronae Borealis began to dim in March of last year, so some researchers are expecting it to go nova between now and September. But the uncertainty as to when this will happen is several months — can’t do better than that with what we know now.”
After the eruption takes place, its brightest views will follow for the next 24 hours, eventually reaching a similar brightness to the North Star, Schaefer explained to NBC News.
“You’re going to notice a new star in the sky,” Cooke told The New York Times. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence,” Cooke added. “How often can people say that they’ve seen a star explode?”