Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license.
Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat.
We can research this topic together.
On 20 April 2016, the '']'' website reported a sustained brightening since February 2015 from magnitude 10.5 to about 9.2. A similar event was reported in 1938, followed by another outburst in 1946.<ref name=sandt>{{cite web|url=http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/whats-up-with-t-crb04202016|publisher=Sky & Telescope website|title=Is T CrB About to Blow its Top?|date=20 April 2016|accessdate=2017-08-06}}</ref> By June 2018, the star had dimmed slightly but still remained at an unusually high level of activity. By mid-2023, it faded by 0.35 magnitude; the lowest brightness seen since 2016.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schaefer |first1=B.E. |last2=Kloppenborg |first2=B. |last3=Waagen |first3=E.O. |title=Announcing T CrB pre-eruption dip |url=https://www.aavso.org/news/t-crb-pre-eruption-dip |website=AAVSO |publisher=American Association of Variable Star Observers |access-date=18 January 2024}}</ref> A similar dimming occurred in the year before the 1946 outburst,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Todd |first1=Ian |title=T Coronae Borealis nova event guide and how to prepare |url=https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/t-coronae-borealis-nova |website=Sky at Night Magazine |publisher=BBC |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref> indicating that it could erupt between January 2024 and August 2024.<ref name=Lyster>{{cite web |url=https://www.aavso.org/blog/T-CrB-jewel-in-the-crown |title=The Jewel in the Crown |last=Lyster |first=Tim |date=1 May 2024 |website=AAVSO |publisher=American Association of Variable Star Observers |access-date=2 July 2024 |quote=}}</ref>
On 20 April 2016, the '']'' website reported a sustained brightening since February 2015 from magnitude 10.5 to about 9.2. A similar event was reported in 1938, followed by another outburst in 1946.<ref name=sandt>{{cite web|url=http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/whats-up-with-t-crb04202016|publisher=Sky & Telescope website|title=Is T CrB About to Blow its Top?|date=20 April 2016|accessdate=2017-08-06}}</ref> By June 2018, the star had dimmed slightly but still remained at an unusually high level of activity. By mid-2023, it faded by 0.35 magnitude; the lowest brightness seen since 2016.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Schaefer |first1=B.E. |last2=Kloppenborg |first2=B. |last3=Waagen |first3=E.O. |title=Announcing T CrB pre-eruption dip |url=https://www.aavso.org/news/t-crb-pre-eruption-dip |website=AAVSO |publisher=American Association of Variable Star Observers |access-date=18 January 2024}}</ref> A similar dimming occurred in the year before the 1946 outburst,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Todd |first1=Ian |title=T Coronae Borealis nova event guide and how to prepare |url=https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/t-coronae-borealis-nova |website=Sky at Night Magazine |publisher=BBC |access-date=18 March 2024}}</ref> indicating that it could erupt between now and August 2024.<ref name=Lyster>{{cite web |url=https://www.aavso.org/blog/T-CrB-jewel-in-the-crown |title=The Jewel in the Crown |last=Lyster |first=Tim |date=1 May 2024 |website=AAVSO |publisher=American Association of Variable Star Observers |access-date=2 July 2024 |quote=}}</ref>
{{Clear|left}}
{{Clear|left}}
Revision as of 13:10, 23 July 2024
Recurrent nova in the constellation Corona BorealisNot to be confused with Tau Coronae Borealis.
T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), nicknamed the Blaze Star, is a recurrent nova in the constellationCorona Borealis. It was first discovered in outburst in 1866 by John Birmingham, though it had been observed earlier as a 10th magnitude star. It may have been observed in 1217 and in 1787 as well. It is expected to undergo an outburst again very soon; it could erupt again before August 2024.
Description
The light curve of T Coronae Borealis during the time surrounding its 1946 eruption, plotted from AAVSO data
T CrB normally has a magnitude of about 10, which is near the limit of typical binoculars. Well documented outbursts have been seen twice, reaching magnitude 2.0 on May 12, 1866 and magnitude 3.0 on February 9, 1946, though a more recent paper shows the 1866 outburst with a possible peak range of magnitude 2.5 ± 0.5. Even when at peak magnitude of 2.5, this recurrent nova is dimmer than about 120 stars in the night sky. It is sometimes nicknamed the Blaze Star.
T Coronae Borealis after Kraft1958 with Stanishev2004 mass ratio
T CrB is a binary system containing a large cool component and a smaller hot component. The cool component is a red giant that transfers material to the hot component. The hot component is a white dwarf surrounded by an accretion disc, all hidden inside a dense cloud of material from the red giant. When the system is quiescent, the red giant dominates the visible light output and the system appears as an M3 giant. The hot component contributes some emission and dominates the ultraviolet output. During outbursts, the transfer of material to the hot component increases greatly, the hot component expands, and the luminosity of the system increases.
The two components of the system orbit each other about every 228 days. The orbit is almost circular and is inclined at an angle of 67°. The stars are separated by 0.54 AU.
2016–present activity
On 20 April 2016, the Sky & Telescope website reported a sustained brightening since February 2015 from magnitude 10.5 to about 9.2. A similar event was reported in 1938, followed by another outburst in 1946. By June 2018, the star had dimmed slightly but still remained at an unusually high level of activity. By mid-2023, it faded by 0.35 magnitude; the lowest brightness seen since 2016. A similar dimming occurred in the year before the 1946 outburst, indicating that it could erupt between now and August 2024.
^ Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
Iłkiewicz, Krystian; Mikołajewska, Joanna; Stoyanov, Kiril; Manousakis, Antonios; Miszalski, Brent (2016). "Active phases and flickering of a symbiotic recurrent nova T CrB". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 462 (3): 2695. arXiv:1607.06804. Bibcode:2016MNRAS.462.2695I. doi:10.1093/mnras/stw1837. S2CID119104759.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
Luna, GJM; Mukai, K.; Sokoloski, J. L.; Nelson, T.; Kuin, P.; Segreto, A.; Cusumano, G.; Jaque Arancibia, M.; Nuñez, N. E. (2018). "Dramatic change in the boundary layer in the symbiotic recurrent nova T Coronae Borealis". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 619 (1): 61. arXiv:1807.01304. Bibcode:2018A&A...619A..61L. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201833747. S2CID119078482.
Schaefer, B.E.; Kloppenborg, B.; Waagen, E.O. "Announcing T CrB pre-eruption dip". AAVSO. American Association of Variable Star Observers. Retrieved 18 January 2024.
Location of T Coronae Borealis (circled in red)
