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Every 80 years, the heavens give us a rare gift: a stellar explosion called a nova that eclipses all other cosmic wonders. This celestial fireworks show occurs when a white dwarf star erupts, increasing its brightness ten thousand times. Even with the naked eye, we can enjoy its glory from millions of kilometers away, and another show is about to start very soon. NASA scientists and astronomers have been patiently waiting to see it, just as we’ve longed to see solar eclipses and the Aurora Borealis for the past few years.

In a new event, a white dwarf star attracts solar material from a nearby red giant. When the heat and pressure from this become too high, the result is a thermonuclear explosion. This makes the white dwarf appear brighter in the sky, but it does not decay, and after the explosion dissipates, the star returns to its original brightness. This massive eruption is new.

The nova can be seen with the naked eye for more than a week after it occurs. For this period of time, it will appear that a new star has appeared in the sky. According to NASA, the explosion could happen anytime, day or night, between now and September, although scientists say it could take longer.

This NASA video shows what it looks like.

The last of this star system was in 1946

The cosmic light show is courtesy of T Coronae Borealis, also known as the Blaze Star or T CrB. It is a binary star system consisting of a white dwarf and an ancient red giant about 3,000 light-years from Earth in the Northern Corona of the Milky Way. It is part of the Corona Borealis constellation, which makes a distinctive C-shape in the sky, mostly during the summer months.

A white dwarf, which is the dead remnant of a star, is about the size of Earth but has the same mass as the sun. Meanwhile, an aging red giant is a dying star that is spewing material into space. The massive gravitational pull of the white dwarf attracts the ejected material from the red giant. Once the white dwarf has accumulated enough material, the heat increases so much that it causes an uncontrollable fusion reaction. This explosion is called a nova.

The previous nova from this star system occurred in 1946. This is a cycle that has continued since it was first discovered more than 800 years ago.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create many new astronomers, giving young people a cosmic event they can observe for themselves, ask their own questions and collect their own data,” said Dr Rebecca Hounsell , assistant research scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. “This will feed the next generation of scientists.”

Where is the Corona Borealis?

You’re probably not as familiar with the Corona Borealis as you are with the easier-to-spot constellations like the Big Dipper. Hard to find in the night sky unless it’s clear. Light pollution from big cities can also make it difficult to find.

NASA says the easiest way to find the Corona Borealis is to find Vega and Arcturus, the two brightest stars in the Northern Hemisphere. (Skygazing apps for your phone can help with this.) From there, you can essentially draw an imaginary line between the two. Corona Borealis is almost right in the middle. You can use the graphic below to see what we mean.

Alternatively, you can also look for the constellation Hercules, and the Corona Borealis will be right next to it. Remember, you can’t see the star in question until the nova pops up, so if you look up in the sky before this happens, the spot where the nova will appear won’t be visible.

When will the new one take place?

Nobody knows for sure. Astronomers and scientists only know that the nova should explode at any moment. Most of them agree that the new one should happen anytime before about September, although it could take longer.

Because the nova can appear at any moment, NASA relies on citizen astronomers and space enthusiasts to call it when the nova occurs.

“Using social media and email, (observers) will send instant alerts,” said Dr. Elizabeth Hayes, head of the Astroparticle Physics Laboratory at NASA Goddard. “We again rely on the global community’s engagement with T CrB.”

Early detection could also help NASA gather more data about the event to better understand its mechanics.

“We will observe the new event at its peak and through its decline as the visible energy of the outburst fades,” Hounsell said. “But it is just as important to obtain data during the early rise to eruption – so the data collected by these keen citizen scientists now looking for the nova will add dramatically to our findings.”

Will I need a telescope to see the new one?

No. NASA says the nova will be visible to the naked eye on a clear night.

However, it is important to know what to look for. The new one won’t look like an explosion like you see in Michael Bay movies. It will just look like another star in the sky that wasn’t there before.

It will also be quite bright, so it should be quite noticeable. Those with telescopes and binoculars will of course have a better view.

What is the difference between a nova and a supernova?

Most people have heard of the term “supernova”. It is the last dying breath of a star as it dims. However, this final dying breath also turns out to be the largest explosion ever observed by humans, as the star furiously ejects material into space. Scientists believe that supernovae are responsible for the elements heavier than iron in the universe. Oddly enough, even the iron in your blood can be traced back to supernovae or similar cosmic explosions.

Nova, on the other hand, requires two stars. One star is always a white dwarf, while the other is usually a red giant.

There are other types of new ones. Hypernovae are supernovae that reach a certain size and brightness. They are usually about 10 or more times brighter than a standard supernova. Another type, the extremely rare kilonova, occurs when two neutron stars collide, releasing an incredible gravitational wave along with electromagnetic radiation.