Every 80 years, the skies grant us a rare gift: a stellar explosion called a nova that outshines all other cosmic wonders. This celestial fireworks show occurs 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, and another show is about to start very soon. NASA scientists and astronomers are waiting patiently to see it, just like we’ve yearned to see solar eclipses and the Aurora Borealis over the past few years.
In a nova event, a white dwarf star pulls in solar material from a nearby red giant. When the heat and pressure from this get too high, the result is a thermonuclear explosion. That makes the white dwarf appear brighter in the sky, but it doesn’t disintegrate, and once the explosion dissipates, the star goes back to its original brightness. That massive eruption is a…
