Astronomers have recorded a potentially historic event: two new stars, visible to the naked eye, flared up almost simultaneously in the night sky. This is an extremely rare phenomenon, which may be unprecedented in the documented history of observations.
In less than two weeks, in June, two bright stars appeared in the sky where there had been nothing before. These are not new stars in the usual sense, but the result of powerful explosions in binary star systems known as classical novas. The first, V462 Lupi, flared up on June 12 in the constellation Lupus. The second, V572 Velorum, surprised astronomers with its appearance in the constellation Vela just 13 days later, on June 25.
Astronomers usually record only one such bright nova per year. However, the simultaneous visibility of two such objects with the naked eye is an almost improbable event. “This is undoubtedly an extremely rare event, if not historic,” emphasizes astronomer Stephen O’Meara. Analyzing the archives, he found no evidence of the simultaneous appearance of two such striking novas.
Where is it possible to observe novas with the naked eye?
Both novas reached sufficient brightness to be seen without optics. V462 Lupi shone brightest on June 20 (apparent magnitude +5.5), while V572 Velorum surpassed it on June 27, reaching a magnitude of +4.8. The magnificent photos taken by astrophotographer Eliot Herman show that V572 Velorum is blue-white in color, while V462 Lupi has a purple hue. Over time, novas turn red and fade away.
The best view of this celestial duo is from the Southern Hemisphere, as the constellations Lupus and Vela are located in the southern part of the sky.
Unlike supernovae, which destroy stars completely, a classical nova is a powerful but superficial explosion. It occurs in a binary system, where a dense white dwarf “steals” gas from its companion. When too much material accumulates on the surface of a dwarf star, a thermonuclear explosion occurs. It ejects matter into space and produces a bright burst that we see as a nova.
Some novas flared up repeatedly, such as the expected T Coronae Borealis, which flares up approximately every 80 years. However, predicting such explosions is usually extremely difficult. Since V462 Lupi and V572 Velorum have been recorded for the first time, it is unknown whether they will flare up again and when. Scientists believe that both objects will remain visible for several more weeks before fading away.
Earlier, we reported on when the last supernova exploded in the Milky Way.
According to livescience.com
