Awaiting the Explosive Star Burst: Anticipation for the Next "New Star" Event
In the constellation Corona Borealis, a small but noticeable region between Bootes and Hercules, lies a unique double star system known as T Coronae Borealis (T CrB). This system, consisting of a cool red giant star and a small but very hot white dwarf, has historically shown significant brightness outbursts in 1866, 1788, and 1217, earning it a reputation as a celestial spectacle.
T CrB is a binary star system where the red giant star constantly ejects hydrogen into space, which collects in a rotating disk and flows onto the white dwarf. At some point, so much hydrogen accumulates on the surface of the white dwarf that a thermonuclear explosion occurs, causing the star to brighten for a few days. This phenomenon is known as a nova explosion, an extremely rare event visible to the naked eye.
Astronomers have been anticipating such a celestial spectacle, with observations from 2017 to 2023 suggesting a lower influx of material onto T CrB compared to before the last eruption in 1946. This has led to a cautious and critical approach to predictions, as the intervals between these outbursts vary between 78 and 81 years, making an accurate prediction of the next occurrence difficult.
However, the observed intervals between the past outbursts of T Cronae Borealis were approximately 80 years (notably recorded in 1866 and 1946), suggesting that the next outburst could occur within the next few years based on this recurrent timescale. Astronomer Veronika Schaffenroth and Sumner Starrfield, who studies novae, both suggest a possible delay in the eruption of T CrB until 2026 or 2027.
The brightness of T CrB is expected to increase by more than a thousandfold, making it visible to the naked eye. During an eruption, T CrB would temporarily challenge Gemma's role as the brightest star in the crown of Corona Borealis.
A nova explosion is different from a supernova, which is the brief, intense brightening of a massive star at the end of its life due to an explosion that destroys the original star. The remnants of a supernova, along with stellar debris and ejected elements, form a planetary nebula consisting of larger and smaller objects, down to dust particles the size of atoms, that drift through space.
T CrB, on the other hand, is a binary system and its nova explosions are caused by the accumulation of hydrogen on the surface of the white dwarf, resulting in a thermonuclear explosion. The star is currently experiencing a variable mass transfer of about 600 billion tonnes of hydrogen per second, indicating that the conditions for a nova explosion are building.
As we approach the potential date of the next outburst, astronomers and stargazers alike are eagerly waiting for this rare celestial spectacle. Keep your eyes to the skies in the coming years, and you might just witness the brightening of T Coronae Borealis.
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