Blaze Star set to illuminate the night sky for the first time in nearly 80 years

Photo byPhoto by Bryan Goff on Unsplash

The "Blaze Star," or T Coronae Borealis, is poised for a significant outburst between now and September 2024, making it visible to the naked eye for the first time since 1946. Located 3,000 light-years from Earth, this star is expected to increase in brightness from magnitude +10 (too dim to see without a telescope) to magnitude +2, comparable to Polaris, the North Star.

To locate T Coronae Borealis, look in the constellation Corona Borealis, also known as the Northern Crown, between the constellations Boötes and Hercules. Start by finding the Big Dipper high in the northern sky. Follow its handle to Arcturus, a bright star, and then locate Vega, which rises in the east-northeast. Between Arcturus and Vega, you will find Corona Borealis as a faint arc of seven stars. The Blaze Star will become visible in this constellation as it brightens.

The Blaze Star is a recurrent nova, a binary star system consisting of a red giant and a smaller white dwarf. These systems experience periodic explosions when material from the red giant accumulates on the white dwarf’s surface, dramatically increasing brightness. The Blaze Star has followed a pattern consistent with previous outbursts, having brightened since 2015 and dimmed briefly in March 2023, suggesting another explosion is imminent. This cycle occurs approximately every 80 years, with past explosions recorded in 1866 and 1946.