Astronomers are closely watching the T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) star system, known as the Blaze Star, which is expected to erupt in a nova explosion at any moment. Although no eruption occurred on Thursday night as predicted, the window for this event remains open, with two upcoming dates: November 10, 2025 and June 25, 2026.
The last recorded sighting of T CrB’s nova took place over 800 years ago, with an average cycle repeat period of 79 years. The current window opened in February 2024, and Jean Schneider’s calculations, published in a 2023 paper, suggested March 27 as the exact date for the eruption. However, two subsequent dates have also been identified: November 10, 2025 and June 25, 2026.
T CrB is a binary system consisting of a white dwarf and an ancient red giant star. The system’s eruptions occur when hydrogen from the red giant star accretes onto the surface of the white dwarf, building pressure and heat until a thermonuclear explosion occurs. This explosion blasts away material, leaving the white dwarf intact but releasing it into space.
The nova will be visible to the unaided eye with a magnitude of +2, almost as bright as the North Star, after an eruption expected to last only a short time. The binary star system will twinkle for several weeks before gradually fading back to its original brightness levels. With no clear indication of when the eruption will occur, astronomers must wait patiently to witness this rare astronomical event.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/the-star-set-to-explode-totally-flaked-heres-what-to-expect-next-2000582048