Normally dormant, the star undergoes a thermonuclear explosion due to the accretion of hydrogen from a neighbouring red giant, resulting in a nova approximately every 80 years.
NASA An exciting astronomical event was recently announced: this summer, star T Coronae Borealis, better known as Blaze Starthere will be a great explosion Nova Visible from Earth. Blaze Star, located about 3000 light years away, consists of a white dwarf and is prone to occasional dramatic explosions. Normally inactive, this star experiences thermonuclear explosions due to hydrogen accretion from a neighboring red giant, resulting in a nova approximately every 80 years.
Blaze Star's impending nova provides a rare opportunity for astronomers and planetarium watchers to observe and study such a cosmic event. This particular nova is different from a supernova, which completely destroys a star. Instead, a nova is a sudden burst of energy that ejects matter into space while the star keeps itself intact. This explosion is triggered by an uncontrolled nuclear reaction on the surface of the white dwarf, emitting massive amounts of energy and light.
Stars like Blaze Star go through a fascinating evolutionary process. Initially powered by hydrogen, stars like our Sun expand into red giants, growing to hundreds of times their original size as they age. These giants lose heat and mass, eventually collapsing into dense white dwarfs, which have a mass comparable to the Sun but are reduced to a fraction of its size. Blaze Star's upcoming nova will highlight the process of stellar evolution and the life cycle of stars.
For those interested in seeing this phenomenon, astronomers suggest focusing on the Northern Crown, located just west of the constellation Hercules. Observers can also draw an imaginary line from Arcturus to Vega, the two brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere, to locate Hercules and Corona Borealis.