Once in a lifetime star explosion: T Coronae Borealis

Once in a lifetime star explosion: T Coronae Borealis

Lecture in English

Dr. Ioannis Kamaretsos (Munich Public Observatory)

Friday, 12 July 2024, 8 p.m.
Venue: Volkssternwarte München, Rosenheimer Str. 145h

T Corona Borealis is a well-known binary star system in which luminous explosions have occurred twice in the last two hundred years. These explosions, known as nova outbursts, are thought to occur at regular intervals. It is predicted that anytime this year it will go from its current very low brightness to an outburst visible to the naked eye, roughly equaling the apparent brightness of Polaris. In this talk we will discuss the nature of this phenomenon, the physical properties of the system, the accuracy of the prediction as well as how it can be observed. Following the lecture, we will use the telescopes on the roof to observe the early summer constellations. Tips will be given on how to quickly detect the nova, should it occur.