T Coronae Borealis, a faint star in the Northern Crown constellation, is on the verge of exploding in a nova, which occurs only once every 80 years, researchers have said.
This spectacular explosion will be visible to the naked eye, allowing skywatchers to witness it for the first time since 1946.
The T Corona Borealis (T CrB) binary star system is a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon that brightens considerably every 80 years. It was last seen doing so in 1946.
Astronomer Franck Marchis at the SETI Institute and Unistellar co-founder said in an email that since last September, "detailed observations of the star have revealed variations that suggest the imminent arrival of this long-awaited explosion."
"However, as the study is still theoretical, its conclusions remain uncertain," he added, per Forbes.
T Corona Borealis is a binary star system located in the "Northern Crown" constellation, approximately 3,000 light-years away. There are two stars in it: a red giant and a white dwarf.
The red giant star is cooling and expanding as it ages, ejecting material while ageing. And, the white dwarf star has run out of fuel and is cooling. The white dwarf gradually gathers material from the red giant.
The white dwarf eventually causes a thermonuclear explosion after gathering spilled material from the red giant star over time. The usually invisible star becomes visible to the naked eye from Earth as a result of this explosion, which causes a rapid and dramatic rise in brightness.
Empirical extrapolations suggest the long-awaited "nova" (new star) is on course to explode on Thursday, March 27, and then become visible to the human eye for a few nights. It is expected to reach a brightness comparable to the North Star, the 48th brightest star in the night sky.
According to the American Association of Variable Star Observers, the star's brightness decreased in March and April of 2023, and they predicted that it would go nova in April of 2024 which did not occur.
Records show that T CrB exploded in 1787, 1866, and 1946, indicating it was a predicted event observed by astronomers across several eras. This also applies to Halley's comet, which passes near Earth once every 76 years.
Dr Hounsell, an assistant research scientist who specialises in nova events at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Centre, earlier said that many aspiring astronomers would be inspired by this "once-in-a-lifetime event" opportunity to witness a "cosmic event firsthand, ask their own questions, and collect their own data."
