A New Star To The Night Sky
The “new star” is expected to appear in the night sky anytime between now and September
The expected brightening event, known as a nova, will occur in the Milky Way’s Corona Borealis, or Northern Crown constellation
The white dwarf and red giant constitute a binary system known as T Corona Borealis, or T CrB
Every 80 years or so, T Coronae Borealis experiences an explosive event
It is located 3,000 light-years from Earth, is expected to reach a level of brightness similar to that of Polaris, or the North Star
T CrB experienced a sudden brightening in recent years that astronomers call a "super active" phase
It was followed by an apparent dip in activity, which signals the nova is probably imminent
The nova will appear in a small arc between the Boötes and Hercules constellations
“It’ll fuel the next generation of scientists.” said Dr. Rebekah Hounsell