Get ready to witness a 'once-in-a-lifetime' star explosion that will be visible from Earth

Astronomers and scientists across the world are gearing up for what is being described as a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event that will be visible from Earth. According to NASA, the much-anticipated star explosion ¡ª or nova ¡ª will be visible to the naked eye sometime this summer.

Supernova vs nova

While a supernova is the explosive death of a massive star, a nova refers to the sudden, brief explosion from a collapsed star known as a white dwarf. The dwarf star remains intact, releasing material in a repetitive cycle that can occur for thousands of years.

Also read: Oldest Known Supernova From Year 185 Spotted By Scientists

NASA

Happens only once in 80 years

Such events occur only once in eighty years when a white dwarf star erupts, increasing its brightness ten thousandfold. Even with the naked eye, we can revel in its glory from millions of miles away.

The previous nova from this star system occurred in 1946. It's a cycle that's been going on since it was first discovered more than 800 years ago.

Where will the nova take place

The expected brightening event, known as a nova, will occur in the Milky Way's Corona Borealis, or Northern Crown constellation, which is located between the Bo?tes and Hercules constellations.

Also read: How Will The Universe End? With 'Black Dwarf Supernovae', Says Study

NASA

¡°It¡¯s a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create a lot of new astronomers out there, giving young people a cosmic event they can observe for themselves, ask their own questions, and collect their own data,¡± said Dr. Rebekah Hounsell, an assistant research scientist specializing in nova events at NASA¡¯s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

When will the explosion happen

The outburst will be brief, and once it erupts, it will be visible to the naked eye for a little less than a week.

NASA

According to NASA scientists, based on previous patterns, the explosion could happen anytime between this month and September.

"We know from the last eruption back in 1946 that the star will get dimmer for just over a year before rapidly increasing in brightness. T Coronae Borealis began to dim in March of last year, so some researchers are expecting it to go nova between now and September. But the uncertainty as to when this will happen is several months ¡ª can't do better than that with what we know now," William J. Cooke, NASA Meteoroid Environments Office lead, said.

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