Astronomers say a "once-in-a-lifetime" view of an astronomical explosion is expected any time shortly.
T Coronae Borealis, also known as the Blaze Star, is actually a pair of stars located 3,000 light-years away. The star system is a recurring nova, with Earth-visible explosions every 79 to 80 years, according to NASA.
The last recorded outburst from T Coronae Borealis - which includes a hot, red giant star and a cool, white dwarf star - was in 1946, according to the space agency, which forecasts it will do so again before September 2024.
The exact day and time of the explosion cannot be predicted but looking at the star system's historical behaviour and current pre-eruption dip indicate the view of the explosion is imminent. A pre-eruption dip is a sudden decrease in brightness that some celestial objects experience about a year before erupting, and that happened to the Blaze Star in March 2023.
When the explosion comes into Earth's view, "it's going to be one of the brightest stars in the sky," Louisiana State University physics and astronomy professor Bradley Schaefer, told ABC News, encouraging the public to go outside and view the explosion as soon as it's in view.
Schaefer has been studying T Coronae Borealis for decades, saying the chance to see the explosion from Earth with the naked eye will be "magnificent."
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