You can see this giant space explosion with the naked eye

Space enthusiasts from around the world will be watching the stars closely in the coming months. Because at any moment an amazing space explosion could occur, the likes of which you can only see once in your life.

Our world is full of strange wonders, about which we know only a small part. Fortunately, we're already familiar with this special phenomenon, because you really don't want to miss it.

Sometime between now and September, a massive explosion will occur 3,000 light-years away. Even amateur stargazers can enjoy it as it can be seen with the naked eye.

The space explosion that you can see with the naked eye this year

In the constellation Corona Borealis there is a binary star system that is usually too faint to see with the naked eye. But every 80 years, a special collision between the two stars triggers a nuclear explosion.

According to NASA, the light from the space explosion is so powerful that it appears as if a new star suddenly appeared in the sky. The light even appears as bright as the North Star. This is not the first time we have witnessed this scene. The explosion was first discovered by Irish scientist John Birmingham in 1866. The explosion was last seen in 1946.

Sumner Starfield, a real-life star chaser at Arizona State University, told AFP he was thrilled about the impending space explosion. He has been studying Corona Borealis since the 1960s.

Starfield is now busy writing a scientific paper that predicts what astronomers will learn after seeing the returning space explosion. “It could happen today… but I hope it will take some time,” he said.

Extremely rare

Repeated explosions, such as those occurring in the Corona Borealis constellation, are extremely rare. There are only ten known instances of this type in the Milky Way.

The two stars have a strange relationship with each other. One of the stars is ancient and almost extinct, known as “Red Nose.” It has already burned up all of its fuel and is completely bloated. The other star is called a “white dwarf.” This is the star's last stop, after its outer layers have been blown away and only the core remains.

Both stars orbit each other so closely that everything the red giant emits is hurtled towards the white dwarf almost instantly. After about 80 years, the white dwarf accumulates enough mass to trigger a nuclear reaction, causing a massive space explosion.

Fortunately, you don't need advanced technology to witness this phenomenon. You can only see it with the naked eye. The question remains: when will the explosion occur? Experts estimate that this will happen sometime within the next five months. We will of course keep you updated as we learn more.

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