Blaze Star : Celestial Event
The upcoming explosion of “Blaze Star” (T Coronae Borealis), a rare celestial event, will be visible to the naked eye for the first time since 1946. This event highlights the dynamic nature of the universe and the complex processes governing stellar evolution.
- Blaze Star is officially known as T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), is a dim star located 3,000 light-years away from our solar system.
- It is found in the constellation Corona Borealis (the “Northern Crown”).
- The Blaze Star is a rare example of a recurrent nova, occurring once in every 80 years.
- Stellar components: The nova involves a binary star system comprising a white dwarf and a red giant.
- The white dwarf draws material from the red giant, leading to periodic explosive increases in brightness.
- The explosion occurs when the red giant’s surface temperature escalates dramatically, causing it to shed material onto the white dwarf, which then ignites a thermonuclear explosion.
- The upcoming stellar explosion is expected to be visible with the naked eye and shine as brightly as Polaris, the North Star, for about a week.
- NASA predicts this event to occur sometime between now and September of 2024.
- Past notable eruptions of T CrB were recorded in the years 1946 and 1866, with earlier documented observations dating back to 1787 and 1217.
- Novae like T CrB occur once every few decades to a century, differing from supernovae in scale, frequency, and consequences.
- Unlike supernovae, novae do not destroy the star system but allow it to reset and repeat the cycle.
