If you’ve ever dreamed of witnessing a stellar spectacle, your moment is on the horizon. T Coronae Borealis, affectionately known as T CrB or the “Blaze Star” is about to explode massively, and it should be visible from our small planet Earth.
Its first outburst was discovered in 1866 by John Birmingham ( Irish astronomer, amateur geologist, polymath, and poet) even though it had previously been seen as a star of magnitude 10. The magnitude of 10, is near the limit of typical binoculars.
Countdown Begins
T CrB is present in a binary star system approximately 3,000 light-years away from our Earth. This binary system contains two components, one is cool and the other is hot. The cool component is a red giant and the hot component is a white dwarf. T CrB is a recurrent nova behavior.
Unlike a supernova, which is a star’s final breath in a dazzling blaze, a nova is a recurring event. These two components orbit each other every 288 days within a circular orbit and are inclined at an angle of 67°. Three times earlier, in 1217 (as reported by German convent head Abbott Burchard), 1866, and 1946, T CrB sparkled our sky with its recurrent nova behavior.
Pressure and heat build up on the surface of the white dwarf as a result of the red giant’s hydrogen accreting there. It eventually sets off a massive enough thermonuclear explosion to blow away the accumulated material. That occurrence seems to happen again for T CrB, on average, every 80 years.
Science Behind the Stellar Spectacle
Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, said Nova is different from Supernova. A supernova is a big explosion that destroys some dying stars. In the Nova event, dwarf stars send accumulated material into space in a blinding flash. Over time, the cycle usually repeats itself; this process can go on for tens or even hundreds of thousands of years.
Astronomers have been closely monitoring T CrB, and their calculations suggest that the next nova should occur within a few months after May 2024, especially during August 2024. In March 2023, astronomers detected a ‘pre-eruption dip’ in T CrB’s brightness, signaling an upcoming cosmic view.
Dr. Rebekah Hounsell describes It’s exciting to have this front-row seat to a celestial event that repeats once every 79 or 80 years.
Where and When to Look
When T CrB finally erupts, it will transform into an exceptionally bright star you don’t need a telescope to see it can be visible with the naked eye. For about a week, stargazers can see the marvel at this cosmic spectacle.
To spot T Coronae Borealis, locate the constellation Hercules present between the bright stars Vega and Arcturus. Just adjacent to Hercules lies the Northern Crown, a U-shaped arrangement of stars. T CrB is present within this stellar crown, and once it ignites, you won’t need a telescope to witness a cosmic show.
So, keep your eyes on the night sky, and prepare for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. T CrB’s fiery performance is about to take center stage, and we’re all invited to the cosmic show.
