"A Cosmic Wonder: New 'Star' to Light Up Night Sky This Summer!"
Stargazers may witness a rare celestial event this summer—a " new star " appearing in the night sky! Though it may look like a new star, it's a spectacular cosmic explosion, known as a nova , set to occur in Corona Borealis . This fascinating event occurs approximately 3,000 light-years away , involving a white dwarf and a red giant star in a binary star system known as T Coronae Borealis , or T CrB . About 3,000 light-years away, a white-dwarf star (illustrated, left) pulls material off a nearby red-giant star (right). The buildup of matter on the white dwarf can trigger a nova eruption bright enough to see from Earth. M. Weiss, CXC/NASA Share thi Every 80 years, this white dwarf pulls enough matter from its red giant companion to trigger a nova eruption. The last one happened in 1946; now, astronomers predict another eruption is due this September. If the nova occurs, it will be visible to the naked eye for a few days to a week—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The ...