The explosion of a star will shine in the sky, you will only see it once in your life

A new star named T Coronae Borealis should appear in the sky within a few weeks. We tell you everything about this rare event.

In a few weeks, we will have the opportunity to attend the event. an astronomical event that we only observe once in our life: the appearance of a new ' oacute;star. The show should be visible from France but will however be fleeting. Indeed, this star, which we also call "nova" is not a new star strictly speaking. It is an old star whose luminosity is very bright. will suddenly increase before disappearing again. new for several decades. You will therefore have to enjoy this show à both unique and fleeting!

The explosion of the star should occur between this month of April and September 2024. This time range is relatively wide since we do not have There is no technique to accurately predict the moment when the event will take place. To find the nova in the starry sky, you will need to find the Corona Borealis constellation. Easily recognizable thanks to & its arc shape, you will have to look for it not far from the Big Dipper, between the constellations of the Bouvier and Hercules. Don't hesitate to join us! Bring a sky map to easily identify these landmarks. The nova will appear & outside the semicircle of the Corona Borealis constellation. Its luminosity should be similar to that of the Polar Star, making it easily visible in the dark. of the night.

Representation of the Corona Borealis constellation. The nova will appear below the second star from the left. © Jazziel – stock.adobe.com

T Coronae Borealis is not in reality not a single star but a composite system of two distinct stars: a red giant and a white dwarf. The latter, not very bright, is a star at the end of its life which gradually sucks up the material ejected by its neighbor, the red giant. When the white dwarf has accumulatedé If there is enough material, a thermonuclear explosion reaction will occur, suddenly increasing its luminosity. This is precisely what should happen in the coming weeks, giving us the opportunity to move forward. to see & to the naked eye this star located all the same at approximately 3,000 light-years from Earth.

This event is relatively rare since it occurs approximately every 80 years, leaving little chance of it occurring enjoy more than once in a lifetime. The last time earthlings observed this star dates back to 1946  and the previous time   1866. It is therefore a show ' do not miss under any circumstances since there will be no make-up session!