In 2024, astronomers from around the world prepared to watch the unique heavenly sight – a bright eruption New Star or “new”, in amazing proximity to the Earth. This event will occur in the constellation of the Northern Crown and will be so bright that it can be seen with the naked eye.
New is an explosion on the surface of a white dwarf, a remnant of a faded star. White dwarfs are often in double systems with larger stars from which they attract gas. When too much gas accumulates on the surface of a white dwarf, it explodes, throwing all this material into space with a dazzling flash.
The upcoming new will take place in the system T Coronae Borealis, or “T CRB”, which is located about 3,000 light years from us. The last observable eruption of this system was in 1946, but, according to scientists, the following outbreak should occur by September 2024.
Usually, the T CRB system emits a weak light about 10th star size, which is too dull for the naked eye. However, during the upcoming event of a new, its brightness will increase sharply, reaching about the 2nd star size. It will shine brighter than the polar star, and will become clearly distinguishable by the naked eye.
After the radiation of the new reaches the maximum, the star can be observed with the naked eye for several days. And with the help of binoculars or telescopes, its bright glow will be noticeably longer – about a week. Then a powerful surge will gradually subside, and the T CRB