A Rare Cosmic Event Approaches: The Blaze Star’s Potential Eruption
The night sky may soon be illuminated by a rare celestial event: a nova visible to the unaided eye. The Blaze Star, or T Coronae Borealis, is a binary star system located within the Northern Crown constellation in the sky. Astronomers believe it could erupt at any moment, with predictions suggesting March 27, 2025, or later this year.
A Nova’s Life Cycle
The Blaze Star consists of a compact white dwarf orbiting a bloated red giant. As the red giant loses mass, the white dwarf absorbs it, eventually leading to a thermonuclear explosion on its surface, resulting in a classical nova. The event is recurring and has occurred once before, in 1946, 80 years ago.
Predicting the Unpredictable
Astronomers have observed similar activity leading up to past eruptions. Jean Schneider’s analysis suggests a likely window for spring or fall 2025. However, predicting novae is notoriously difficult. The best way to find out if and when it will happen is to observe the sky.
Finding the Blaze Star
The star lies in Corona Borealis, easily recognizable by its C-shaped constellation between Arcturus and Vega. During an eruption, it’s expected to become one of the brightest stars in that part of the sky, visible to the naked eye. To catch it, look east before dawn in late spring.
A Cosmic Blast from the Past
The Blaze Star is located 3,000 light-years away, meaning the light from its next eruption left the star around 1,000 BCE during the Bronze Age. The event will be visible for only a few days, making it a rare opportunity to witness a nova in action. Binoculars can enhance the view, but they’re not required.
Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/03/blaze-star-explode-see-with-naked-eyes