The explosion of a star system will be visible without telescopes this year, although the exact date is unknown, reported the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA).
This is T Corona Borealis, known to astronomers as T CrB, it is a system that contains a dead white dwarf and an aging red giant, which revolve around each other and in which one of them transfers part of its atmosphere to the companion. This material is heated to a point where a thermonuclear reaction occurs and its prompt eruption, known as a “nova event,” will increase the brightness of the system.
Unlike supernovae, novae do not completely destroy the star, allowing the cycle of feeding and explosion to repeat itself in the future. Known recurrent novae are very few and T Corona Borealis is one of them. The last eruptions of this system occurred in the years 1217, 1787, 1866 and 1946.
It is not possible to determine exactly the date of the explosion. However, astronomers predict it could happen around May 2024, although it may occur earlier or even months later.
Ronald Mennickent, associate researcher at the Center for Astrophysics and Related Technologies (CATA) and astronomer at the Department of Astronomy at the University of Concepción, pointed out that “T Corona Borealis is usually so faint that it cannot be observed with the naked eye. When the eruption occurs it will be possible to see it with a brightness comparable to that of the North Star and it will probably remain visible in the sky for some weeks.
To look at this phenomenon in Chile, the CATA researcher explained that “the nights of May and June are ideal to better observe T Corona Borealis from Chile, since it rises a little higher above the horizon. “We hope that these dates coincide with the eruption, to perceive them in better conditions.”
Those who wish to observe the eruption should look in the sky for the constellation Corona Borealis, close to Bootes and Hercules. Once it happens and reaches its maximum brightness, it will dim again for the next eight decades, making it the only chance for most people.
