How to see a huge 'once-in-a-lifetime' star explosion this year

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Image: NASA Conceptual Image Lab / Goddard Space Flight Centre

A magnificent eruption could occur at any moment

The solar eclipse might have been and gone, but we highly recommend keeping your eyes on the skies — a massive star explosion, known as a nova, is about to happen in the Milky Way. Well, actually, it happened thousands of years ago, but it's only just reaching us now.

Nicknamed the 'Blaze Star', T Coronae Borealis lives around 3,000 light years away as is expected to explode at any point between now and September. It only explodes every 80 years and a NASA astronomer told NPR that this event is 'kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing', so here's how to make sure you catch a glimpse.

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What is a nova?

Nova is derived from the Latin for 'new star'. It's when a typically dim part of the solar system lets out a sudden burst of bright light and becomes visible to the naked eye, giving the appearance of a new star.

T Coronae Borealis is actually made up of two stars: a red giant and a white dwarf. The white dwarf is gradually pulling gas from the red giant, which will eventually cause a big ol' thermonuclear explosion and create a super bright light. It's likely to reach around the same level of brightness as the North Star.

When will the star explosion happen?

There's no specific date, but we know that the star will explode some time before September 2024. For updates, you're best off keeping an eye on NASA's social media.

How can I see the star explosion?

When it happens, the explosion will be visible to the naked eye — no fancy equipment needed. You'll need to look towards the constellation Corona Borealis, which is a 'small, semicircular arc'. At it's highest altitude, you can find it towards the south at 65 degrees above the horizon, just after 3am.

It will remain visible to the unaided eye for a few days then with binoculars for just over a week. Experts advise becoming familiar with that part of the sky using a pair of binoculars if you want to be especially prepared for the spectacle.

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