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Credit & Copyright: A. Maury & J. Fabrega
Explanation:
How bright will Nova Carinae 2018 become?
The new nova was
discovered only last week.
Although novas
occur frequently throughout the universe, this nova, cataloged as
ASASSN-18fv,
is so unusually bright in the
skies of Earth
that it is now easily visible through binoculars in the
southern
hemisphere.
Identified by the arrow,
the nova occurs near the direction of the picturesque
Carina Nebula.
A nova is typically
caused by a thermonuclear
explosion on the surface of a
white dwarf star that is accreting matter from a binary companion,
although details of this
outburst are currently
unknown.
Both professional and amateur astronomers will be
monitoring
this
unusual stellar outburst in the coming weeks, looking to see how
Nova
Carinae
2018
evolves, including whether it becomes bright enough to be visible to the unaided
eye.
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NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
Based on Astronomy Picture
Of the Day
Publications with keywords: nova - Carina
Publications with words: nova - Carina
See also: