this post was submitted on 25 Aug 2024
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A nova explosion may soon be visible in the night sky. Here's where and when to look (www.pbs.org)
submitted 10 months ago by gedaliyah@lemmy.world to c/science@lemmy.world
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In the second half of 2024, a nova explosion in the star system called T Coronae Borealis, or T CrB, will once again be visible to people on Earth. T CrB will appear 1,500 times brighter than usual, but it won’t be as spectacular as the event in 1054.

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[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 19 points 10 months ago (3 children)

never heard of these recurrent novae, got to look it up, sounds counterintuitive

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 31 points 10 months ago (1 children)

You're thinking supernova, which happens only once. Novae were seen first as stars that would flare up, becoming a "new" star if it was too faint before to see. They are always a binary system, with the recurrent ones being a companion star that passes by periodically to deposit more material to flare up.

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (2 children)

ah, i see, the word super makes all the difference here

[–] Rhaedas@fedia.io 15 points 10 months ago (1 children)

There's also a hypernova. :D

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago (1 children)

🤯

[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 11 points 10 months ago (4 children)

And kilonova, which is when two neutron stars collide!

[–] Drunemeton@lemmy.world 9 points 10 months ago (1 children)

From: https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/science-questions/gravitational-waves-the-chirps-that-prove-einstein-was-right.htm

What is kilonova explained?

A kilonova is an explosion resulting from the collision of two neutron stars, or a neutron star and a black hole. These events are extremely energetic, and can release as much energy in a few seconds as our Sun will produce in its entire 10-billion-year lifetime.

[–] flicker@lemmy.world 2 points 10 months ago

Thank you for posting the bit and the link.

Holy fuck that's so much energy!

[–] dessimbelackis@lemmy.world 3 points 10 months ago

Like when Bowie and Frankie made Under Pressure?

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 2 points 10 months ago

terra nova as well, which is when you boot up civ V

[–] nul@programming.dev 1 points 10 months ago

Heavily featured in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwMwzGIt5ek

[–] henfredemars 11 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Without reading the article, I imagine it’s a binary system where a white dwarf is siphoning gases from a star. When it reaches critical mass, it goes thermonuclear.

[–] Tilgare@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago

You are exactly right - how could this have possibly been a guess, lol.

[–] illi@lemm.ee 3 points 10 months ago

I saw a video on this and this is pretty much how I remember it explained.

[–] thenextguy@lemmy.world 4 points 10 months ago (1 children)

How is it counterintuitive? Gas builds up, goes boom, repeat.

[–] catloaf@lemm.ee 13 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Usually stars don't build up gas. This one is part of a binary system, though, so like the other comment says, it's siphoning matter from the other one.

[–] expatriado@lemmy.world 6 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

the counterintuitive part came for the standard candle supernovae already coming from binary systems and not being recurring, but somehow the recurrent ones manages to blow up with 1/100 of the energy, i am just learning this

[–] exocortex@discuss.tchncs.de 14 points 10 months ago

Ahh the event in 1054... Yeah that event was a banger!

[–] dream_weasel@sh.itjust.works 13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

That was a very long article for so little "where and when to look".