A nova nova, appearing in the northern constellation Cassiopeia, it can be seen with binoculars and small telescopes, but this the transient object will not stay too long. Here’s how you can see Nova V1405 Cas before it’s too late.
Amateur astronomer Yuji Nakamura from the Japanese city of Kameyama mottled nova on March 18 at 19:10 local time and promptly reported its discovery to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). Astronomers using the Seima telescope at Kyoto University in Okayama Prefecture confirmed the nova at 4:40 the next morning.
“This observation was made just half a day after the discovery, demonstrating a fruitful collaboration between amateur astronomers and researchers,” the NAOJ said in a statement. statement. “Because we cannot predict when and in what direction the new ones will appear, the discoveries of amateur astronomers contribute significantly to the understanding of our phenomena.”
Designated the Nova V1405 Case, the object was initially detected at a magnitude of 9.6 (too dim to be seen with the naked eye), but illuminated significantly in the days following its discovery. Like EarthSky rEPORTS, the nova now shines at a magnitude of about 7.6, making it visible to binoculars and small telescopes and probably the unassisted eye (humans can observe celestial objects as large as about 6.5, but humans may actually be able to see Nova without equipment if the conditions are right).
G / O Media may receive a commission
And yes, you should make the effort to see if you can. New ones of this type, in which nuclear explosions cause the spectacular brightness of white dwarf stars, are common in the Milky Way, but new visible ones are relatively rare. One of the latest novae with the naked eye, V1369 Cen, happened in 2013 and was only visible in the southern hemisphere. Nova V1405 Cas is a transient object and will be fade in the next few weeks and months.
EarthSky provides details information about how you can best see the V1405 Cas, but very simple, you should first locate the constellation Cassiopeia, which can be seen above the horizon when looking north-northwest after sunset (use a phone app like Sky Guide for help you locate celestial objects). Then, using the two lower stars in Cassiopeia, draw a line to the right “for about the same distance as the two stars are separated from each other and start looking for a small group of stars known as M52”. EarthSky recommends. From here you should be able to see the nova, which obviously will not appear on the star maps. Sky & Telescope recommend dusk or just before dawn as the best times to see the new nova.
The V1405 Cas should not be confused with a type Ia supernova, as it is not a star that exploded directly. This is a classic nova, which involves a white dwarf and a main sequence star caught in a close orbit. The small dense white dwarf draws hydrogen from its partner, and this hydrogen becomes more and more compact and hot. Eventually, nuclear fusion is triggered, making the white dwarf glow 50,000 to 100,000 times brighter than normal. The white dwarf survives these surface explosions and the process begins again.