A star in the constellation T Coronae Borealis, also known as the Northern Corona, 3,000 light-years from Earth is poised to explode as a nova. This explosion will be visible from Earth, writes the New York Post.
This star explodes about every 80 years and is visible in the night sky for a week as a bright new star. Its light from Earth will be similar in brightness to the North Star.
"We expect that [T Coronae Borealis] will erupt any night now, any month now," said Louisiana State University astronomer and Flaming Star expert Bradley Schaefer.
T Coronae Borealis is made up of two celestial bodies: the remnant of a dead Earth-sized star, a so-called "white dwarf," and "an ancient red giant that is slowly losing its hydrogen under the relentless gravitational pull of its hungry neighbor," according to NASA.
Hydrogen from the red giant gradually surrounds its stellar partner, increasing the pressure and temperature, like air being pumped into a balloon — and when that balloon "pops," a thermonuclear explosion will occur that will be visible from across the galaxy.
"It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event that will create a lot of new astronomers out there," said NASA astronomer Dr. Rebecca Hunsell. "It’s incredibly exciting to have this front-row seat."
If you don't miss the moment, here's how you can see the explosion for yourself. First, find the constellation Coronae Nordis in the night sky—it's an arc-shaped star located west of Hercules. Then, imagine drawing straight lines from two bright stars—Arcturus and Vega—towards Hercules. The nova will appear where they intersect.