Red Nova Explosion Predicted For 2022.

[bornagainathiest]

http://www.astronomy.com/news/2017/01/2022-red-nova

 

This is the area of sky scanned by the Kepler satellite.

 

 

Here's where the constellation Cygnus is in the sky, in relation to the the Big Dipper.

 

 

Thanks,

 

BAA.

[Thurisaz]

Whoah

 

[bornagainathiest]

Some more info about the red nova.

 

Here's a nice animation showing the two stars in contact with each other.

Right now they take about 11 hours to complete one orbit, but this period will shorten as they draw closer and closer together.  (Think of an ice-skater spinning on the spot.  As they draw their arms in towards their body, the speed of their spin accelerates.)  

 

 

http://www.calvin.edu/academic/phys/observatory/MergingStar/

 

The distance of this pair is calculated to be 1,800 light years.

Therefore, the merger actually took place about 222 A.D., but we will only see the event in 2021/22.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KIC_9832227

 

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is due to launch next year, so it will be ready (fingers crossed!) to witness the event.

 

Thanks,

 

BAA.