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Re: Once in a lifetime event

By: De_Composed in 6TH POPE | Recommend this post (0)
Sun, 16 Jun 24 4:55 AM | 31 view(s)
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Msg. 54197 of 60008
(This msg. is a reply to 54194 by Beldin)

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Here's what you're looking for: At the moment (10:30 at night) it's almost directly overhead. If you can find the Big Dipper (which is part of Ursa Major), you should be able to use its handle as a "finger" pointing fairly close to Corona Borealis. You'll need binoculars. The Big Dipper is visible to the naked eye, but most of us can't see Corona Borealis that way.

The nova is the result of carbon dust that accumulates on the surface of a white dwarf star within the constellation's "cup"... well to the left of center. The star is normally too dim to see (Magnitude 10). Ironically, the reason they know a nova is about to occur is that the star is getting even dimmer. Approximately every eighty years, the carbon causes enough heat buildup to produce a massive thermonuclear explosion that blasts the dust back into space.

At its peak, the nova will be about as bright as Polaris (Magnitude 2).



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The above is a reply to the following message:
Re: Once in a lifetime event
By: Beldin
in 6TH POPE
Sun, 16 Jun 24 4:12 AM
Msg. 54194 of 60008

Don't worry ... we'll get one of the girls from the NTC to help ribit with his telescope ... 

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