T CrB nova explosion

[Granada]

I've been eagerly awaiting the T CrB nova explosion (https://www.nasa.gov/centers-and-facilities/marshall/nasa-global-astronomers-await-rare-nova-explosion/) which scientists think will happen in September, but no one knows exactly when. Is anyone here aware of any websites/blogs/etc. where this information is updated so I don't miss it? It would really disappoint me if I miss this event.

[Addos]

According to Fraser Cain's Universe Today podcast it hasnt happened yet (think he mentioned it in last Saturdays' Space Bites), but is predicted to happen anytime between now and September.
I imagine if you're tuned into Universe Today https://www.youtube.com/user/universetoday or Anton Petrov https://www.youtube.com/@whatdamath youtube channel, you'll hear the day/week it happens.


I havent heard any estimates of how long it'll brighten for, but chances are it'll be several days / couple of weeks so you should get a chance to point your scope at it. Thats how I'm operating anyway :) Big challenge for most of us here though is clear line of sight to Corona Borealis :P



Also exciting this will happen in the age of JWST, so its likely they'll use some discretionary time to observe the event, which should provide some outstanding images of a star in distress.

[Granada]

Thanks Adam, those are good suggestions.
I think scientists are estimating it'll be visible to the naked eye for about a week, but from what I've read there is little data about this nova, so it's all just guesswork at this stage.

[gary]

Back in Feb I made this post that a T Coronae Borealis nova outburst was predicted for some time between Feb - Sep 2024
https://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=209296

News stories have been appearing this past week that astronomers are
still awaiting the event, such as this one from the US ABC News :-
https://abc7.com/post/lifetime-nova-explosion-will-bring-new-star-night/14940212/



Astronomy Magazine :-
https://www.astronomy.com/observing/how-to-see-t-coronae-borealis-the-brightest-nova-of-the-generation/

[Drac0]

Sadly a lot of social media & "news" sites are overstating what this is going to look like, even some that should know better - saw one the other day saying it's going to "light up Earth's skies". Going to be a number of very disappointed casual observers. Worse is many will blame "science" for the media's click bait headlines...

Cheers,
Mark

[tonybarry]

The American Association for Variable Star Observations (AAVSO) may be a useful source for info about T CrB.

https://www.aavso.org/news/t-crb-pre-eruption-dip
Announcement from last year by Brad Schaefer (Louisiana State University) and AAVSO. Taken from the paper by Schaefer (2023) et al. available at:-
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.04933

https://www.aavso.org/t-crb-time-sensitive-alerts-forum-thread
The forum thread for T CrB - most recent posting 5 June 2024.

Hope this helps.

I suspect that T CrB will go nova in its own time, but the present interest due to the pre-eruption dip in brightness is tantalising, but may require a longer timebase than what we would want to endure :-)

Regards
Tony Barry
Western Sydney Amateur Astronomy Group (WSAAG)

[gary]

It's a small world. I know Brad.

[Granada]

Thanks everyone