News Astronomy

A stellar explosion may add a temporary ‘new star’ to the night sky this summer

Some 3,000 light-years away, a white dwarf goes nova about once every 80 years

A tiny white dwarf star, surrounded by a swirl of material, is siphoning more material from a nearby fiery-looking red giant star in this illustration.

A white dwarf (illustrated, left) pulls material off a neighboring red giant star. The accumulation of matter can trigger a nova on the white dwarf.

M. Weiss, CXC/NASA

By Jay Bennett

Keep your eyes on the night sky this summer, scanning for the constellation Corona Borealis, and if you are lucky, you may glimpse what appears to be a new star winking on in the dark.