NASA predicts a “once in a lifetime” event that can be seen from Earth without the need for a telescope

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that during This summer, the entire world will be able to witness a “once in a lifetime” event. This is the type of “nova” that would occur in a small constellation. According to specialists, it will attract the new generation of astronomers.

NASA indicated in a press release that the exact date on which this event will occur is unknown, but it will be in the northern summer or fall at the latest. For Dr. Rebecca Hounsell, a researcher at the space agency, It is a “once-in-a-lifetime event that will create many new astronomers.”This gives young people a cosmic event they can observe for themselves, ask their own questions, and collect their own data.

As they explained, the “flare star” is a binary system located in the Northern Crown, about 3,000 light-years from Earth. It consists of a “white dwarf”, i.e. the remains of a dead Earth-sized star with a mass similar to that of our Sun, and an “ancient red giant”. The latter loses hydrogen due to the gravity of the former.

He determined that “hydrogen from the red giant accumulates on the surface of the white dwarf, causing an accumulation of pressure and heat.” “Over time, that leads to an explosion.” A thermonuclear large enough to detonate that accumulated material“he added.

Dr. Hounsell explained that a nova event should not be confused with a supernova. The latter is known as “the final giant explosion that destroys some dying stars,” he said. In the first case, the dwarf star remains intact, sending the accreted material into space in a dazzling flash.

This event has actually occurred at other times and specialists have indicated where to look for it

Nova T CrB, as the event that will occur this year is known, was first seen in 1217 in Germany and the last time it occurred was in 1946. Thanks to the patterns, it is known that September 2024 will be a new opportunity to witness the event.

What should you look for in heaven?

During this event, people should look for the “Northern Crown,” a horseshoe-shaped curve of stars west of the constellation Hercules. According to specialists, it looks much better at night. To identify it, you must locate the two brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere, Arcturus and Vega, between which the explosion point will be. You don’t need a telescope, but you can see it with the naked eye.

Despite the anticipation, the month of September may pass without imagining the phenomenon. “Recurring novae are unpredictable and paradoxical,” said Koji Mukai, a NASA astrophysicist. “Just when you think there’s no reason for them to follow a pattern, they do.And once you start trusting them to repeat the same pattern, they deviate from it completely. “We will see how T CrB behaves,” he said.

How common is a nova explosion?

According to NASA, astronomers believe that the frequency at which a nova explosion occurs is not very frequent. They show this on average every 80 years or at the end of the century About two or three supernovae occur in galaxies in the Milky Way.

However, they showed that the universe contains several galaxies. “A few hundred supernovae are observed every year outside our galaxy,” NASA says. “Most of them are obscured by space dust.”

How bright can it be?

In addition, novae are events that generate a show that generates a string of lights.

“These amazing events can be Very bright Which can obscure entire galaxies for days and even months. “It can be seen throughout the universe,” says the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Nation – Argentina

GDA