TWiS 121: An Exploding Star Near You! - A Nova is Coming with Carlos Badenes

A nova is a star that periodically sheds mass in a huge flare-up of light and energy. This week, astrophysicist Dr. Carlos Badenes from the University of Pittsburgh joins us to discuss a star that should be going nova in the next few weeks--and will be visible in the night sky for about 6-7 days! T Corona Borealis (TCrB) is a binary system comprising two stars in the constellation Corona Borealis that bursts into magnitude 2 (as seen from Earth) about every 80 years--and should do so again by mid-September! Join us. Headlines: NASA's Perseverance rover discovers a rock on Mars that shows intriguing signs of potential ancient microbial life, sparking excitement among scientists Starliner Update: NASA and Boeing discuss the extended mission of the Starliner spacecraft, addressing concerns and highlighting the crew's safety and productivity Scientists uncover evidence suggesting Mercury's crust harbors a 10-mile thick diamond layer, formed by unique planetary processes Main Topic - The Visible Nova in the Sky Near You: T Coronae Borealis, a recurring nova located in the constellation Corona Borealis, is expected to become visible to the naked eye between now and September 2024 Novae are binary star systems where a white dwarf accumulates material from its companion star, leading to a thermonuclear runaway and a bright outburst Supernovae, in contrast, are the explosive deaths of stars, either through the complete disruption of a white dwarf or the collapse of a massive star's core Historical accounts of "new stars" include Tycho's Supernova (1572), Kepler's Supernova (1604), and the Crab Nebula progenitor (1054) Dr. Badenes discusses his research on novae in nearby galaxies and the use of the Hubble Space Telescope to study the progenitors of thermonuclear supernovae The crew explores the limits of recurring novae, the possibility of a white dwarf exploding as a Type Ia supernova, and the anticipated supernova of the star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion Hosts: Rod Pyle and Tariq Malik Guest: Carlos Badenes Download or subscribe to this show at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-space. Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsor: betterhelp.com/TWIS