Blaze Star

Source-This post on Blaze Star has been created based on the article “A ‘new star’ could appear in the sky any night now. Here’s how to see the Blaze Star ignite” published in “livescience” on 6 June 2024.

Why in News?

The upcoming explosion of “Blaze Star” (T Coronae Borealis) which is a rare celestial event. It 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.

About Blaze Star

1. Blaze Star is a dim star located 3,000 light-years away from our solar system.

2.  It is situated in the constellation Corona Borealis, also known as the “Northern Crown.”

3. Blaze Star is a rare example of a recurrent nova, which means it experiences explosive increases in brightness approximately once every 80 years.

4. Stellar Components:

i) The nova involves a binary star system comprising a white dwarf and a red giant.

ii)  The white dwarf draws material from the red giant, leading to periodic explosive increases in brightness.

iii) An 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.

5. Upcoming Explosion: The next stellar explosion is expected to be visible to the naked eye. It is predicted to shine as brightly as Polaris, the North Star, for about a week. NASA predicts this event will occur sometime between now and September 2024.

6. Historical Eruptions: Past notable eruptions of T CrB were recorded in the years 1946 and 1866. Earlier documented observations date back to 1787 and 1217.

7. Frequency and Impact: Novae like T CrB occur once every few decades to a century. They differ 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.

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