A nova explosion is expected to be visible from Earth before the end of September.
The rare event, which occurs about every 80 years, takes place when a white dwarf star in a binary star system accumulates gases like hydrogen from its companion, leading to an explosion.
The Nova event will involve the T Coronae Borealis (T Crb), located in the constellation Corona Borealis, or the Northern Crown star system, about 3,000 light-years from Earth.
“This could be a once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity as the nova outburst only occurs about every 80 years,” Nasa said.
“Once its brightness peaks, it should be visible to the unaided eye for several days and just over a week with binoculars before it dims again.”
What is a nova explosion?
The event differs from a supernova explosion, which is much more powerful and occurs when a star dies.
In a nova explosion, the white dwarf star survives.
“The stars are close enough that, as the red giant becomes unstable from its increasing temperature and pressure and begins ejecting its outer layers, the white dwarf collects that matter on to its surface,” said Nasa.
“The shallow dense atmosphere of the white dwarf eventually heats enough to cause a runaway thermonuclear reaction – which produces the nova we see from Earth.”
T Crb, which last exploded in 1946, will reach a higher magnitude once the explosion takes place and will be the same brightness as the North Star, Polaris.
A supernova explosion will eventually be visible from Earth, but it will most likely will not happen for another 100,000 years.
Betelgeuse, about 640,000 light years away, is one of the closest and brightest stars to Earth, and its violent death will be visible.
Scientists have been speculating that the explosion will happen soon as the star has been dimming significantly over the past few years.
The star is about 10 million years old.
Watch: Nasa releases stunning images from James Webb Telescope
The most expensive investment mistake you will ever make
When is the best time to start saving in a pension? The answer is simple – at the earliest possible moment. The first pound, euro, dollar or dirham you invest is the most valuable, as it has so much longer to grow in value. If you start in your twenties, it could be invested for 40 years or more, which means you have decades for compound interest to work its magic.
“You get growth upon growth upon growth, followed by more growth. The earlier you start the process, the more it will all roll up,” says Chris Davies, chartered financial planner at The Fry Group in Dubai.
This table shows how much you would have in your pension at age 65, depending on when you start and how much you pay in (it assumes your investments grow 7 per cent a year after charges and you have no other savings).
|
Age
|
$250 a month
|
$500 a month
|
$1,000 a month
|
|
25
|
$640,829
|
$1,281,657
|
$2,563,315
|
|
35
|
$303,219
|
$606,439
|
$1,212,877
|
|
45
|
$131,596
|
$263,191
|
$526,382
|
|
55
|
$44,351
|
$88,702
|
$177,403
|
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
