Blaze Star

About Blaze Star:

• Blaze Star, officially known as T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), is a dim star located 3,000 light-years away from our solar system. 
• It is found in the constellation Corona Borealis (the “Northern Crown”).
• The Blaze Star is a rare example of a recurrent nova, occurring once in every 80 years.
• Stellar components: The nova involves a binary star system comprising a white dwarf and a red giant. 
  • The white dwarf draws material from the red giant, leading to periodic explosive increases in brightness.
  •  The explosion occurs when the red giant’s surface temperature escalates dramatically, causing it to shed material onto the white dwarf, which then ignites a thermonuclear explosion.
• The upcoming stellar explosion is expected to be visible with the naked eye and shine as brightly as Polaris, the North Star, for about a week. 
  • NASA predicts this event to occur sometime between now and September 2024.
• Past notable eruptions of T CrB were recorded in the years 1946 and 1866, with earlier documented observations dating back to 1787 and 1217.
• Frequency and Impact: Novae like T CrB occur once every few decades to a century, differing from supernovae in scale, frequency, and consequences. 
  • Unlike supernovae, novae do not destroy the star system but allow it to reset and repeat the cycle.

Q1. What is a Chandrasekhar limit?

The Chandrasekhar limit is the maximum mass of a stable white dwarf star, approximately 1.4 times the mass of the Sun, beyond which it collapses into a neutron star or black hole.

Source: A ‘new star’ could appear in the sky any night now. Here’s how to see the Blaze Star ignite.

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