The explosion, 3 thousand light-years away, will light up the sky for a few days – and will not be repeated until 80 years later – the observer

Bradley Schaefer says that previous eruptions made it possible to understand that T CrB behaves in a “unique” way in the process before and after its eruption. This is characterized by a pre-eruption state in which T CrB reaches high brightness, but is followed by a period of sudden decline. This sudden decline was clearly observed in 1946 by scientist Leslie Peltier, who began observing T CrB in the 1920s from his home and realized that this activity represented an impending explosion. The previous activity of this nova also allowed us to see that after the eruption there is a new state of high brightness intensity, similar to before the eruption, and another peak called a secondary maximum. However, the causes of all these phenomena, which appear to be “unique” to T CrB, remain a mystery.

The impending eruption of the T CrB volcano has excited many in the scientific community and prompted major preparations. There are many groups and organizations that observe them, and one of the largest is the American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO), a North American non-profit organization. On this page, last year Bradley Schiffer published an article condition To announce that the pre-eruption phase of the new T CrB has begun between March and April 2023 and that a new eruption will be visible very soon.

This has been a recurring research topic in his career leading him to publish an article in the soon-to-be-announced Journal of the History of Astronomy. Discovery of two long-lost eruptions of T CrB volcano: In 1217, it was seen by German monks, and in 1787, by the English astronomer Francis Wollaston. After that, only novae dating back to 1866 and 1946 are known. “There has not been a brighter nova since T CrB, in 1946. None!” “AT CrB is currently the brightest new thing seen by generations of observers,” Bradley Schiffer highlights. “History is about to repeat itself.”

This year's eruption will undoubtedly be the most studied ever and will be observed for the first time using NASA's Fermi Telescope. Launched in 2008 and capable of detecting gamma rays — the most energetic form of light — the telescope has witnessed about 20 novae since the beginning of its mission. This was possible through this telescope It was proven, for the first time, nearly ten years ago, that a nova emits gamma rays. “Before Fermi, we never saw gamma-ray emissions from novae. Now we see them once or twice a year. This is probably the brightest we'll see“, as Elizabeth Hayes reinforces.

Based on other new observations, it is possible to arrive at the idea that T CrB must release energy between 10,000 and 100,000 times as powerful as our Sun. “a lot [energia]”But it doesn't last.”The scientist says, explaining that estimates indicate that the phenomenon will be visible across Fermi for several months, up to six at most. During this time, it is important for NASA to look at how the gamma rays emitted by T CrB change over time, how quickly they brighten and how quickly their intensity decreases afterward.

Bradley Schaefer, who created the T CrB light curve with estimates from 1942 until last night, is particularly interested in understanding phenomena that characterize the period before and after the eruption and about which scientists know little. “There are a variety of ideas floating around, but none of them do more than state the obvious. We hope to truly understand the pre-eruption, why there is the pre-eruption low, why the post-eruption high exists, and why the secondary eruption exists. We don't know “Maybe this year’s observations will help us understand.” The tasks are many and time is key. “If we don’t solve this problem now, we will have to wait another 80 years to find a solution,” he joked.