A binary star that’s been on the brink of going supernova has had astronomers on tenterhooks. As we move further into October, the anticipation for this once-in-a-lifetime event is growing, with the supernova now considered overdue.
According to experts, it could be visible to the naked eye any day now. If you’re in London and look west at 8pm tonight, October 7, you might just spot the star everyone’s talking about, according to The Guardian.
T Coronae Borealis, also known as the Blaze Star, is a unique sight in the night sky.
It’s made up of two stars in the Northern Crown Constellation; a red giant and a white dwarf with a dense core roughly the same size as Earth.
The pair go nova approximately every 80 years, and scientists initially expected the next explosion to have occurred around April this year
When it does finally explode, T Coronae Borealis is expected to shine as brightly as Alphecca, the brightest star in its entire constellation.
Unfortunately, it won’t be easily visible from the southern hemisphere.
The gravity of the white dwarf steadily siphons gas from the red giant, which then accumulates under its surface and builds up until it detonates in a thermonuclear explosion.
This causes it to temporarily brighten but does not destroy the white dwarf.
After this explosive release, the cycle starts again when the white dwarf returns to normal.
There’s a bit of a debate about when the next big bang is due, with estimates ranging from January 2024 to September 2026.
A prediction made way back in 1946 reckoned it wouldn’t hit nova level until 2027.
